Athericid larva Photograph courtesy of Institute for Water Quality Studies, Department of Water Affairs and Forestry

The Athericids (Diptera: Athericidae) of South Africa compiled by Arthur Harrison 111A Berg Road, Fish Hoek, South Africa

© Copyright of this page belongs to the author.
Yours is the access since 1 June 2000

CONTENTS Introduction Athericidae References

Athericid adults clustered on rock, Western Cape Photograph courtesy of Hamish Robertson, South African Museum

INTRODUCTION

The family Athericidae was split from the Rhagionidae by Brian Stuckenberg in 1973, and the new family is recognized internationally by diperists. It is the sister group of the Tabanidae, with little real affinity to the rhagionids. All athericids share a hanit with tabanids of laying thier eggs in layered masses which are stuck to a firm surface (e.g. rock faces or under bridges) overhanging the water there the larvae will develop. All members of the family have predacious aquatic larvae.

South Africa has the most world's diverse athericid fauna. Stuckenberg (1980) states that the palaearctic genus Atherix has not yet been found in the Afrotropical Region.

Information about aquatic flies and their biology can be obtained from

The Diptera Page of The Tree of Life

Family: ATHERICIDAE

Subfamily: ATHERICINAE

1. Genus: PACHYBATES Bezzi
   1. P. braunsi Bequaert

      Pachybates braunsi Bequaert 19:
      Western Cape.

      
      
   2. P. incompletus Bezzi

      Pachybates incompletus incompletus Bezzi 19:
      South Africa.

      Pachybates incompletus adeps Stuckenberg 19:
      South Africa.

      
      
   
   
2. Genus: SURAGINA Walker
   1. S. agramma Bezzi

      S. agramma Bezzi
      South Africa, to Zimbabwe.

      
      
   2. S. binominata Bequaert

      S. binominata Bequaert
      South Africa.

      
      
   3. S. bivittata Bezzi

      S. bivittata Bezzi
      South Africa.

      
      
   4. S. monogramma Bezzi

      S. monogramma Bezzi
      South Africa, to Mozambique.

      
      
   5. S. nigromaculata Brunetti

      S. nigromaculata Brunetti
      Zimbabwe.

      
      
   
   
3. Genus: Trichacantha Stuckenberg
   1. T. atranupta Stuckenberg

      T. atranupta Stuckenberg
      Eastern Cape; cool, stony mountain streams.

      
      
   
   
4. Unplaced species of Athericinae
   1. *. adamastor Stuckenberg

      *. adamastor Stuckenberg
      South Africa.

      
      
   2. *. androgyna Bezzi

      *. androgyna Bezzi
      South Africa.

      
      
   3. *. barnardi Bezzi

      *. barnardi Bezzi
      South Africa.

      
      
   4. *. kar Stuckenberg

      *. kar Stuckenberg
      South Africa.

      
      
   5. *. peringueyi Bezzi

      *. peringueyi Bezzi
      South Africa.

      
      
   
   

REFERENCES

Stuckenberg B.R. 1980.

Family Athericeridae. In: R. W. Crosskey (ed.) Catalogue of the Diptera of the Afrotropical Region. British Museum of Natural History, London. Pp 312-313.