Identification of Sphaeroceridae Flies

Update：2016/3/1 16:07:32  View：

These small flies have dark colored bodies and are about 1/8 inch in length, making proper identification difficult without magnification. The tarsi (last 5 segments of the hind leg) is the key to identifying the Sphaerocerid fly. On this particular fly, the first segment of the tarsi is greatly enlarged.
Sphaerocerid Fly Biology and Life History
The Sphaerocerid fly belongs to a large family of flies known as Sphaeroceridae which contains 241 species in North America. Most flies of this family generally breed in animal manure and can also be known as small dung flies. There are a few species that feed in any decaying organic matter, meaning that they can be found in the same areas as Phorid flies and Fruit flies. The life history is much the same as these other small flies.