Afrocamilla
Taxonomy
This page represents the following TreeOfLife-200M taxonomic path.[1]
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Diptera
- Family: Camillidae
- Genus: Afrocamilla
Visual Description
Based on observations from the TreeOfLife-200M dataset, Afrocamilla species are small, acalyptrate flies.[1] They typically exhibit a compact body form with a distinct, somewhat flattened head and thorax. The wings are generally clear or lightly tinted, often held in a characteristic position when the fly is at rest. The body coloration is frequently dark, ranging from brown to black, which may provide camouflage in their typical micro-habitats.[1]
Biology and Ecology
The genus Afrocamilla was described by Barraclough in 1992.[2] These flies are part of the family Camillidae, a small group of Diptera primarily known from the Palaearctic and Africa, though they are also present in the New World.[3]
The biology of Afrocamilla is characterized by a close association with the nests, burrows, and latrines of small mammals, including wood rats (Neotoma spp.) and bats.[3] The immature stages are believed to develop in the faeces of these hosts, which are often found in sheltered environments like rocky crevices.[3]
Adults exhibit specific behaviors, such as hovering over nest litter and rocky crevices. They have been observed moving their abdomens in an up-and-down motion while stationary and occasionally opening and closing their wings.[3]
Gallery
References
- 1 2 3 Dataset view for Animalia / Arthropoda / Insecta / Diptera / Camillidae / Afrocamilla constructed from imageomics/TreeOfLife-200M records under this taxonomic path. Hugging Face Datasets. https://huggingface.co/datasets/imageomics/TreeOfLife-200M.
- ↑ Afrocamilla Barraclough, 1992. GBIF. https://www.gbif.org/species/1545036. Accessed 2026-07-14.
- 1 2 3 4 David A. Barraclough; SCOTT J. FITZGERALD. A New Afrocamilla from Colorado, the Third Species of Camillidae (Diptera: Schizophora) from the United States. Tijdschrift voor Entomologie. 2001. https://doi.org/10.1163/22119434-99900053.