Silba fumosa (Egger, 1862)

Rotheray, Graham & Lyszkowski, Richard, 2015, Diverse mechanisms of feeding and movement in Cyclorrhaphan larvae (Diptera), Journal of Natural History 49 (35), pp. 2139-2211 : 2163

Silba fumosa ; ( Lonchaeidae ); Palloptera trimacula (Pallopteridae) and Chymomyza costata (Drosophilidae)

Compared with other saprophages, these larvae were most similar to each other. Cibarial ridges are present and lunge times are similar and neither fast nor slow relative to the range of other saprophages ( Table 2). Lunge distances are neither long nor short relative to the range of the others ( Table 3). Thoracic segments taper the least ( Table 3). Length of the thorax as a proportion of overall body length is at the high end of the range for all saprophages ( Table 3). The pseudocephalon is longer than wide and, in S. fumosa , the oral cavity is open (i.e. the lobes of the pseudocephalon separate from the base of the mandibles); the oral cavity is closed in the other two species (i.e. by fusion of the lobes along their dorsal and apical margins), like an upside-down bowl. The inside margin of the mandibular hook is rounded and the anterior face without spicules in S. fumosa . In the other two species, the mandibular hook is flattened and the anterior fold has spicules.