Bibionomorpha Explained

The Bibionomorpha are an infraorder of the suborder Nematocera. One of its constituent families, the Anisopodidae, is the presumed sister taxon to the entire suborder Brachycera.^[1] Several of the remaining families in the infraorder (those shown without common names) are former subfamilies of the Mycetophilidae, which has been recently subdivided. The family Axymyiidae has recently been removed from the Bibionomorpha to its own infraorder Axymyiomorpha.

Most representatives of the Bibionomorpha are saprophages or fungivores as larvae with the Cecidomyiidae being predominantly gall-formers. Some sciarids are common indoor pests, developing large populations in potting soil that has become moldy from overwatering. The larvae of the Bibionidae sometimes migrate in large, snake-like masses to minimize dehydration while seeking a new feeding site.

Superfamilies and families

• Superfamily Anisopodoidea (Triassic - Recent)
  • Anisopodidae (syn †Eopleciidae) - wood gnats
  • †Antefungivoridae (syn Pleciomimidae, Sinemediidae)
  • †Crosaphididae (Triassic-Jurassic)
  • †Pleciofungivoridae (syn Fungivoritidae) (Upper Triassic - Middle Jurassic)
  • †Protorhyphidae (Upper Triassic)
  • †Siberhyphidae (Jurassic)
• Superfamily Bibionoidea (Cretaceous - Recent)
  • Bibionidae (syn †Cascopleciidae) - march flies and lovebugs
    • • • • • • • • • • • Hesperinidae Superfamily Mycetobioidea Mycetobiidae Superfamily †Pachyneuroidea †Procramptonomyiidae Superfamily Scatopsoidea Canthyloscelidae †Protoscatopsidae (Middle Jurassic)
            • Scatopsidae Valeseguyidae Superfamily Sciaroidea †Archizelmiridae (Middle Jurassic)
      • Bolitophilidae Cecidomyiidae - gall gnats
        • • Diadocidiidae Ditomyiidae Keroplatidae (incl. Lygistorrhinidae)
  • Mycetophilidae - fungus gnats
  • †Paraxymyiidae (Middle Jurassic)
    • • Rangomaramidae Sciaridae - dark winged fungus gnats
• Superfamily incertae sedis
  • • • †Heterorhyphidae Pachyneuridae
  • †Protobibionidae extinct (Middle Jurassic)
  • †Protopleciidae (syn Palaeopleciidae, Pleciodictyidae, Protoligoneuridae) (Late Triassic - Jurassic)
  • †Tipulopleciidae extinct (Middle Jurassic)

Notes and References

1. King . David G. . The Origin of an Organ: Phylogenetic Analysis of Evolutionary Innovation in the Digestive Tract of Flies (Insecta: Diptera) . Evolution . May 1991 . 45 . 3 . 582 . 10.2307/2409912 . 18 November 2020 . Society for the Study of Evolution.