Chaetocoelopa littoralis

Chaetocoelopa littoralis, commonly known as the hairy kelp fly, is a fly of the family Coelopidae.[3][4] It is endemic to New Zealand.[5] These flies are black in appearance and show large variation in size, with males tending to be larger and more robust and 'hairy' than females. C. littoralis can also be observed resting on surfaces including cliff faces and driftwood in large aggregations.[6]

Chaetocoelopa littoralis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Family: Coelopidae
Subfamily: Coelopinae
Tribe: Glumini
Genus: Chaetocoelopa
Species:
C. littoralis
Binomial name
Chaetocoelopa littoralis
(Hutton, 1881)[1]
Synonyms
  • Coelopa littoralis Hutton, 1881[1]
  • Coelopa monstruosa Hutton, 1901[2]
  • Chaetocoelopa huttoni Harrison, 1959
New Zealand hairy kelp fly (Chaetocoelopa littoralis), male, lateral view.

Life history

Like other species in the family Coelopidae, C. littoralis inhabit beds of decaying seaweed and kelp (wrack) washed up on the coast.[7][8] Adult flies mate within the wrack beds, and females lay their eggs onto the wrack. Their larvae feed on the decaying algae and its associated microorganisms.[8]

Distribution

C. littoralis are found throughout New Zealand's coast, including offshore islands.[6]

References
  1. Hutton, F. W. (1881). Catalogues of the New Zealand Diptera, Orthoptera, Hyme-noptera; with descriptions of the species. Wellington: Colonial Museum and Geological Survey of New Zealand. pp. X+132. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  2. Hutton, Frederick Wollaston (1901). "Synopsis of the Diptera Brachycera of New Zealand". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 33: 1–95. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  3. "Chaetocoelopa littoralis (Hutton, 1881)". www.gbif.org. GBIF Secretariat. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  4. "Fly (Hairy Kelp fly) Chaetocoelopa littoralis". www.terrain.net.nz. T.E.R:R.A.I.N - Taranaki Educational Resource: Research, Analysis and Information Network. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  5. "Chaetocoelopa littoralis (Hutton, 1881)". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  6. "Nature Watch: Hairy Kelp Fly observations". Archived from the original on 10 March 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
  7. Crowe, Andrew (2002). Which New Zealand Insect?. Auckland, New Zealand: Penguin Books. p. 65. ISBN 978-0141006369.
  8. Mcalpine, David K. (1991). "Review of the Australian kelp flies Diptera: Coelopidae". Systematic Entomology. 16 (1): 29–84. doi:10.1111/j.1365-3113.1991.tb00573.x. ISSN 1365-3113.


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