Pipunculidae


Pipunculidae is a family of flies commonly termed big-headed flies, a reference to the large eyes, which cover nearly the entire head. The family is found worldwide and more than 1300 species have been described.
The larvae of Pipunculidae develop as parasitoids almost exclusively in Auchenorrhyncha, the exception being the genus
Nephrocerus, whose hosts are adult Tipulidae. The larvae develop rapidly within the crane flies before pupating in the soil. In all pipunculids there are only two larval stages. Some species are used as biological control agents in rice fields.

Evolution

Molecular analysis show that Pipunculidae appeared in the Maastrichtian age of the Cretaceous. The oldest fossils of this group were found in the Eocene formations. North American Metanephrocerus belgardeae and Priabona florissantius were collected from the Ypresian and Priabonian deposits, respectively. Younger specimens of Pipunculidae were discovered in the Miocene Dominican amber.

Taxonomy

Taxonomy as shown at the Tree of Life [Web Project|Tree of life], with modification based on Kehlmaier, Dierick and Skevington. The name Pipunculidae is derived from the type genus Pipunculus which is thought to be derived from Latin pepo for pumpkin, thus pipunculus would mean "little pumpkin", referring to the large heads.
Subfamily Chalarinae
Subfamily Nephrocerinae
Subfamily Protonephrocerinae
Subfamily Pipunculinae