Medetera
Sign in to saveMedetera is a large genus of flies in the family Dolichopodidae. It includes about 350 species worldwide. The adults are commonly found resting on vertical surfaces such as tree trunks, on which they have a characteristic vertical upright stance. Because of this stance, they are sometimes known as "woodpecker flies". Medetera adults are predators of soft-bodied arthropods, while the larvae are predators of bark beetle larvae.
Taxonomy · GBIF
GENUS
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumArthropoda
- ClassInsecta
- OrderDiptera
- FamilyDolichopodidae
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Medetera is a large genus of flies in the family Dolichopodidae. It includes about 350 species worldwide. The adults are commonly found resting on vertical surfaces such as tree trunks, on which they have a characteristic vertical upright stance. Because of this stance, they are sometimes known as "woodpecker flies". Medetera adults are predators of soft-bodied arthropods, while the larvae are predators of bark beetle larvae.
A 2011 molecular phylogenetic analysis of Medetera and related genera found that Medetera is paraphyletic with respect to Dolichophorus, and that Thrypticus is a sister taxon to Medetera + Dolichophorus.