Nemestrinidae


Nemestrinidae, or tangle-veined flies is a family of flies in the superfamily Nemestrinoidea, closely related to Acroceridae.
Larvae are endoparasitoids of either grasshoppers or scarab beetles. Some are considered important in the control of grasshopper populations. Adults are often observed on flowers.

Distribution

The family is small but distributed worldwide, with about 300 species in 34 genera. Nemestrinidae are most diverse in the southern hemisphere, and only six species in three genera occur in the Nearctic region.

Genera

Data sources: i = ITIS, c = Catalogue of Life, g = GBIF, b = Bugguide.net

Fossil history

Fossils of Nemestrinidae are known from several localities of various ages in Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Western Europe and North America, with the oldest described fossils being in the Middle-Upper Jurassic Karabastau Formation of Kazakhstan and Daohugou Bed of China. Undescribed remains are known from the Upper Liassic of Germany.