Neriidae

NERIIDAE

Neriidae is a small family of true flies (Diptera) with long, stilt-like legs. Most species are found in the tropics. Neriids have very interesting behaviours, and many species are strikingly sexually dimorphic, with males having much longer legs, heads and/or antennae than females. Neriid larvae have the ability to leap during the stage just before pupation when they migrate from the larval feeding substrate to the pupation site. Very little research has been done on this interesting group of flies.

Two neriid species are known in Australia:

Telostylinus angusticollis (also known as Derocephalus angusticollis) is native to NSW and southern Queensland. These large flies (up to 2 cm in length) aggregate and breed on rotting trunks of Acacia longifolia and other trees. We are using these flies in research on diet, ageing, developmental plasticity, and non-genetic inheritance.

Neriid male guarding an egg-laying female (right) while rival males approach

Males appear to assess each other by elevating their bodies and rotating and interlocking their antennae.

Neriid males engage in spectacular battles for territories near egg-laying sites

While mating, the male typically encloses the female within the span of his legs

A female (right) lays eggs while her mate guards her, and two large males fight for territory

Telostylinus lineolatus (below) inhabits tropical north Queensland, where it breeds on rotting fruit. T. lineolatus also occurs on many Pacific islands. These flies are smaller, less developmentally plastic and less sexually dimorphic than T. angusticollis.

The Australian neriids can be reared in the lab on an artificial medium consisting of molasses, malt and soy protein mixed with hydrated 'cocopeat' (shavings from coconut husks). They have a generation time of about 30 days at 26 C.

A bibliography of the Neriidae can be found here.