Symphoromyia sackeni
This record describes Symphoromyia sackeni (species). Recorded family: Rhagionidae. Recorded order: Diptera.
Identification and Appearance
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Diptera (Flies)
- Family
- Rhagionidae (Snipe Flies)
- Genus
- Symphoromyia (Rocky Mountain Bite Flies)
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
WA-CA
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Adult females take a blood meal from various mammal hosts to help with egg development. Males form mating swarms (but do not take blood meals).
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Genus name - Each of the word roots for Symphoromyia come from Greek: sym- = "with"; phor- = "thief"...while phoro- = "movement"; and myia = "fly". So the meaning might be taken "active thief fly". [Perhaps the "thief" part refers to the female's habit of taking a blood meal from various mammal hosts? And/Or perhaps the "movement" part refers to the swirling motion of the male mating swarms?] Specific epithet - honorific in recognition of the very influential dipterist (Baron) Carl Robert Osten-Sacken ...see obituaries written by his colleagues & contemporaries J.M. Aldrich and C.W. Johnson here and here . Aldrich gave the name here 9 years after Osten-Sacken's death.
About Flies: the wider group
Order-level background for Diptera, the group containing Symphoromyia sackeni. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Diptera includes over 150,000 described species of flies, mosquitoes, and midges. Mosquitoes are the deadliest animal on Earth (CDC). Malaria alone causes ~249 million cases and over 608,000 deaths annually, mostly children under 5 (WHO). Vector-borne diseases account for over 17% of all infectious diseases, causing 700,000+ deaths per year.
Ecological role of the group
Despite their disease impact, flies are critical decomposers and pollinators. Hoverflies alone pollinate hundreds of crop and wildflower species. Flies are also the primary food source for many birds, bats, and fish. Forensic entomology relies heavily on fly species for crime scene analysis.
Economic and practical significance of the group
In the U.S., vector-borne disease cases tripled between 2004-2016, with over 640,000 cases reported in that period (CDC). Tickborne diseases doubled from 22,000 to 48,000 annual reports. Globally, mosquito-borne diseases cost billions in healthcare and lost productivity.
Recorded sources for this group: WHO, CDC, PNAS. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Symphoromyia sackeni (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Aaron Schusteff; Additional contributions by v belov