Humpbacked Flies or Scuttle Flies

Family Phoridae

Gymnophora luteiventris. Photo:Stephanie Boucher

Phoridae have a very diverse range of habits. Most phorid larvae are saprophagous in decaying organic matter, some are parasitoids or predators of other insects and of spider and mollusc eggs, and some live in the nests of ants and termites. Adults are usually found in damp places, on or near decaying matter. Phoridae are small to very small flies, usually dark coloured, but sometimes yellowish. They have a characteristic humpacked shape and distinctive wing venation, and the hind femora are laterally flattened.