Skip to main content

Stalk-Eyed Flies: Caprices of Evolution?

  • Chapter
  • 433 Accesses

Part of the book series: Monographiae Biologicae ((MOBI,volume 74))

Abstract

A report is given on the species of stalk-eyed flies found around the Kuala Belalong Field Studies Centre (Brunei Darussalam, Borneo) during the Brunei Rain Forest Project 1991–92 of the University of Brunei and the Royal Geographical Society. Twelve of thirteen species of stalk- eyed flies found belong to the family Diopsidae. Ten of these are new species which are yet to be described. Local diversity of that family is much higher than hitherto assumed. Some of the species closely resemble their sister species present on the Malay Peninsula but do not interbreed with them. Allometric data of body length and eyespan are given for two species; some features of their behaviour are described. The only non diopsid stalk-eyed fly found, Themara hirtipes (Rondani), belongs to the family Tephritidae. Here only males have eyestalks. Allometric data of males are presented, together with field observations on territoriality, mating behaviour and reproductive behaviour.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Literature Cited

  • BURKHARDT, D. &. MOTTE, I. DE LA 1983. How Stalk-Eyed Flies Eye Stalk-Eyed Flies: Observations and Measurements of the Eyes of Cyrtodiopsis whitei (Diopsidae, Diptera). Journal of Comparative Physiology A151:407–421.

    Google Scholar 

  • BURKHARDT, D. & MOTTE, I. DE LA 1987a. Selective Pressures, Variability, and Sexual Dimorphism in Stalk-Eyed Flies (Diopsidae, Diptera). Naturwissenschaften 72:204–206.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • BURKHARDT, D. & MOTTE, I. DE LA 1987b. Physiological, Behavioural, and Morphometric Data Elucidate the Evolutive Significance of Stalked Eyes in Diopsidae (Diptera). Entomologica Generalis 12:221–233.

    Google Scholar 

  • BURKHARDT, D. & MOTTE, I. DE LA 1989. Big ‘Antlers’ are Favoured: Female Choice in Stalk-Eyed Flies (Diptera, Insecta), Field Collected Harems and Laboratory Experiments. Journal of Comparative Physiology A152:649- 652.

    Google Scholar 

  • BURKHARDT, D., MOTTE, I. DE LA & YONG, H. S. 1991. PGM: A Suitable Genetic Marker in Studying Mating Success of Cyrtodiopsis whitei (Diopsidae, Diptera). Naturwissenschaften 78:76–78.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • BURKHARDT, D., MOTTE, I. DE LA & LUNAU, K., in press 1993. Signalling Fitness: Larger Males Sire More Offspring. Studies of the Stalk-Eyed Fly Cyrtodiopsis whitei (Diopsidae, Diptera). Journal of Comparative Physiology A.

    Google Scholar 

  • FEIJEN, H. 1989. Diopsidae. Pp. 1–122 in Griffiths, G. C. D. (ed.). Flies of the Nearctic Region, Vol IX, Part 12. E. Schweizerbart’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Stuttgart.

    Google Scholar 

  • GRIMALDI, D. & FENSTER, G. 1989. Evolution of Extreme Sexual Dimorphisms: Structural and Behavioral Convergence Among Broad-Headed Male Drosophilidae (Diptera). American Museum Novitates No. 2939, 25pp, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • MOTTE, I. DE LA & BURKHARDT, D. 1983. Portrait of an Asian Stalk-Eyed Fly. Naturwissenschaften 70:451–461

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • SHILLITO, J. F. 1971. Dimorphism in Flies with Stalked Eyes. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 50:297–305.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • STEYSKAL, G. C. 1975. Family Diopsidae. Pp. 32–36 in Delfinado, M. & Hardy, D. E. (eds). A Catalog of the Diptera of the Oriental Region, Volume III. Hawaii University Press, Honolulu.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1996 Kluwer Academic Publishers

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Burkhardt, D., de la Motte, I. (1996). Stalk-Eyed Flies: Caprices of Evolution?. In: Edwards, D.S., Booth, W.E., Choy, S.C. (eds) Tropical Rainforest Research — Current Issues. Monographiae Biologicae, vol 74. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-1685-2_17

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-1685-2_17

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-7255-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-009-1685-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics