13. Family PERISSOMMATIDAE
by Neal L. Evenhuis
This small family of flies (5 species; 4 Australian, 1 Chilean) was proposed
by Colless (1962a) for the aberrant genus Perissomma. The position
of the family within the Nematocera is uncertain, but its placement within
the Bibionomorpha by Colless (1962a) has been accepted by subsequent authors
and is followed here. Its suspected primitive origin is substantiated by
its Transantarctic distribution (in Australia and Chile). All known Perissomatidae
are sylvan species. The larvae of P. fuscum have been found in Boletus fungi. Larvae presumed to be of P. mcalpinei have been collected
from moist leaf litter. A formal taxonomic review and a discussion of cytogenetics
of the family is found in Colless (1969).
Refs.: Colless (1962a, 1969, rev., key, biol., cytogenetics), McAlpine
(1987a, behav.).
Genus PERISSOMMA Colless
PERISSOMMA Colless, 1962a: 520. Type species: Perissomma fusca Colless, 1962, orig. des.
bellissimum Colless, 1969: 726. Australia (NSW).
dobrotworskyi Colless, 1969: 726. Australia (NSW); Australia (Vic).
fuscum Colless, 1962a: 525. Australia (ACT); Australia (SA, Vic).
mcalpinei Colless, 1962a: 528. Australia (NSW); Australia (Vic).
This page last revised 17 August 1996