Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods) ➔ Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods) ➔ Class Insecta (Insects) ➔ Order Diptera (True flies) ➔ Family Ulidiidae (Picture-winged flies)

Physiphora smaragdina (Loew 1852)

Synonyms and other combinations:

Ulidia rufifrons Walker, 1871 |

  • Physiphora cf. smaragdina 1175
    Physiphora smaragdina (Loew 1852)     
    Physiphora cf. smaragdina
    ES, Fuerteventura, Costa Calma; 2009-03-23 14:41:17
    Image number: 1175

    ES, Fuerteventura, Costa Calma
    2009-03-23 14:41:17
  • Physiphora smaragdina 1179
    Physiphora smaragdina (Loew 1852)     
    Physiphora smaragdina
    ES, Fuerteventura, Costa Calma; 2006-03-11 15:39:08
    Image number: 1179

    ES, Fuerteventura, Costa Calma
    2006-03-11 15:39:08
  • Physiphora smaragdina 1180
    Physiphora smaragdina (Loew 1852)     
    Physiphora smaragdina
    ES, Fuerteventura, Costa Calma; 2006-03-11 15:39:55
    Image number: 1180

    ES, Fuerteventura, Costa Calma
    2006-03-11 15:39:55
  • Physiphora smaragdina 2848
    Physiphora smaragdina (Loew 1852)     
    Physiphora smaragdina, det. Nikita Vikhrev
    ES, Fuerteventura, Costa Calma; 2010-03-09 13:42:09
    Image number: 2848

    ES, Fuerteventura, Costa Calma
    2010-03-09 13:42:09
    det. Nikita Vikhrev
  • Physiphora smaragdina 9063
    Physiphora smaragdina (Loew 1852)     
    Physiphora smaragdina, det. Nikita Vikhrev
    ES, Fuerteventura, Costa Calma; 2019-10-18 14:57:59
    Image number: 9063

    ES, Fuerteventura, Costa Calma
    2019-10-18 14:57:59
    det. Nikita Vikhrev

Classification:
Physiphora smaragdina belongs to the subfamily Ulidiinae, tribe Ulidiini.
Distribution:
Mediterranean region (Spain, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Israel), sub-Saharan Africa from Capo Verde and Gambia via Chad to Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia and South Africa; Arabian Peninsula.
Description:
Physiphora smaragdina is a metallic shiny picture-winged fly with striking striped eyes, hyaline wings with yellowish veins and a wing length of 2.9 - 4.5 mm. Physiphora smaragdina has a body length between 3.2 and 5.5 mm. The legs are dark brown to black (including the foretarsi) with exception of the completely or partly yellowish tarsi of the middle and hind legs.
In the case of the similar Physiphora alceae listed for the Canary Islands, the 1st tarsomer of the foretarsi is 3/4 yellowish from the base.
Biology:
The larvae of the picture-winged flies feed on decaying plant and animal matter and on excrement.

References, further reading, links:
  1. Pape T. & Thompson F.C. (eds) (2017). Systema Dipterorum (version 2.0, Jan 2011). In: Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life, 2017 Annual Checklist (Roskov Y., Abucay L., Orrell T., Nicolson D., Bailly N., Kirk P.M., Bourgoin T., DeWalt R.E., Decock W., De Wever A., Nieukerken E. van, Zarucchi J., Penev L., eds.). Digital resource at www.catalogueoflife.org/annual-checklist/2017. Species 2000: Naturalis, Leiden, the Netherlands. ISSN 2405-884X.
  2. Elena P. Kameneva & Valery A. Korneyev, 2016, Revision of the Genus Physiphora Fallén 1810 (Diptera: Ulidiidae: Ulidiinae), Zootaxa 4087 (1), pp. 1-88.
    pp 71-74: Physiphora smaragdina (Loew 1852) at plazi.org