The Sepsidae (Diptera) of Europe

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This book/monograph gives a detailed account of the taxonomy, distribution, and biology of the 9 genera and 44 species of European Sepsidae. One species is described as new to science, and the morphology of the immature stages of 3 species from 2 genera is described for the first time. Keys are given to generic level for eggs, larvae, and adults and to species for the adults, and are complemented by notes on collecting and preservation. Detailed descriptions of the adults are provided for genera and species, together with a summary of the available natural history information and diagnostic notes on the immature stages. The results of extensive type studies are presented. The monograph is illustrated, with 478 figures and 2 plates, and will assist with the identification of Sepsidae throughout Europe. Sepsidae are important model organisms in ecological and behavioral research. All life history stages are saprophagous in a wide variety of organic substrates, and the substrate associations of the various species are summarized in a table that demonstrates that the dung of mammals and birds is the preferred food for the life history stages of most species. The known parasitoids of European Sepsidae are tabulated, and the phylogenetic relationships and position of the family briefly reviewed. The monograph concludes with a comprehensive bibliography and a summary of the provincial distribution of the 34 species occurring in Fennoscandia and Denmark.

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ELECTRONIC FILE - Zoology: Invertebrates

Citation (book/monograph in a series, CSE style): Pont AC, Meier R. 2002. The Sepsidae (Diptera) of Europe. Leiden (NL): Brill. 195 p. (Fauna Entomologica Scandinavica; vol. 37).