Asyndetus
Taxonomy
This page represents the following TreeOfLife-200M taxonomic path.[1]
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Diptera
- Family: Dolichopodidae
- Genus: Asyndetus
Visual Description
Based on observations of specimens in the TreeOfLife-200M dataset, members of the genus Asyndetus are small flies, typically ranging from 2.2 to 3.0 mm in length.[1] They exhibit a shining, dark metallic green thorax, which is often covered with a fine, silvery-white dusting.[2] The antennae are black, featuring a characteristic triangular third segment with a rounded tip and a subdorsal arista.
Morphology and Ecology
The genus Asyndetus (subfamily Diaphorinae) is distinguished by its wing venation, where the costa terminates at the tip of the third longitudinal vein (r4+5) rather than extending to the fourth vein (M). The apical section of the fourth vein is typically bent or interrupted near the middle. Additional diagnostic features include the absence of tarsal claws and the presence of enlarged pulvilli.
The ecology of Asyndetus is varied. Many species are associated with coastal environments, particularly crab burrows, though inland species also exist. For example, A. latifrons is a widespread species found in both the Palaearctic and Oriental regions, typically inhabiting sandy soils.
Gallery
References
- 1 2 Dataset view for Animalia / Arthropoda / Insecta / Diptera / Dolichopodidae / Asyndetus constructed from imageomics/TreeOfLife-200M records under this taxonomic path. Hugging Face Datasets. https://huggingface.co/datasets/imageomics/TreeOfLife-200M.
- ↑ Patrick Grootaert; H.J.G. Meuffels. New Species of Asyndetus, Presumed Commensal Flies of Crabs, in Thailand (Diptera, Dolichopodidae, Diaphorinae). Tropical Natural History. 2002. https://doi.org/10.58837/tnh.2.2.102855.