This is a small family of 54 extant and 3 fossil species in 15 genera.
Called flutter, trembling-wing, or waving-wing flies, by reason of the striking
vibration of the wings in many species, they are found in northern temperate
regions, temperate South America, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea.
Little biological information is available. Most of the 9 New Zealand species
were collected by sweeping vegetation. Records from Europe indicate that
larvae are phytophagous or carnivorous, occurring in flower buds and stems
of Compositae and Umbelliferae or under bark of felled trees infested with
Cerambycidae and Scolytidae.
Refs.: Harrison (1959, key NZ Maorina), McAlpine (1981, key
world gen.).
HYPSOMYIA McAlpine, 1964c: 218. Type species: Hypsomyia goilala
McAlpine, 1964, orig. des.
goilala McAlpine, 1964c: 218. PNG (PNG).
MAORINA Malloch, 1930b: 235. Type species: Maorina bimacula Malloch, 1930, orig. des.
NEOMAORINA Miller, 1945: 72 (unnec. n. n. for Maorina).
MAVRINA, error for Maorina.
apicalis Walker, 1849: 1114 (Opomyza). "New Zealand";
NZ (Chatham Is, NZ).
aristata Malloch, 1930b: 241. NZ (NZ).
bimacula Malloch, 1930b: 237. NZ (NZ).
gourlayi Harrison, 1959: 208 (Neomaorina). NZ (NZ).
lamellata Harrison, 1959: 210 (Neomaorina). NZ (NZ); NZ (Chatham
Is).
macronycha Malloch, 1930b: 239. NZ (NZ).
palpalis Malloch, 1930b: 240. NZ (NZ).
pseudapicalis Harrison, 1959: 211 (Neomaorina). NZ (NZ).
scutellata Malloch, 1930b: 240. NZ (NZ).