The minute black scavenger flies or "dung midges", are a family, Scatopsidae, of nematoceran flies. Despite being distributed throughout the world, they form a small family with only around 250 described species in 27 genera, although many await description and doubtless even more await discovery. These are generally small, sometimes minute, dark flies (from 0.6 to 5 mm), generally similar to black flies (Simuliidae), but usually lacking the humped thorax characteristic of that family. The larvae of most species are unknown, but the few that have been studied have a rather flattened shape and are terrestrial and saprophagous. Scatopsids are a well established group and fossils are known from amber deposits dating back to the Cretaceous period. Scatopse notata (Linnaeus, 1758) is a cosmopolitan species. Its larval stages are found in decaying plant and animal material. Genera Anapausis Enderlein, 1912 Apiloscatopse Cook, 1874 Arthria Kirby, 1837 Aspistes Meigen, 1818 Austroclemina Borneoscatopse Brahemyia Amorim, 2007 Coboldia Melander, 1916 (sometimes erroneously as Colboldia) Colobostema Enderlein, 1926 Cooka Amorin, 2007 Diamphidicus Cook, 1971 Efcookella Ectaetia Enderlein, 1912 Ferneiella Cook, 1974 Hawomersleya Cook, 1971 Holoplagia Enderlein, 1912 † Mesoscatopse Neorhegmoclemina Parascatopse Cook, 1955 Parmaferia Cook, 1977 † Procolobostema † Protoscatopse Psectrosciara Kieffer, 1911 Quateiella Cook, 1975 Reichertella Enderlein, 1912 Rhegmoclema Enderlein, 1912 Rhegmoclemina Enderlein, 1936 Rhexoza Enderlein, 1936 Scatopse Geoffroy, 1762 (sometimes erroneously as Scatops or Scathops) Swammerdamella Enderlein, 1912 Thripomorpha Enderlein, 1905 Description Adult Scatopsidae are 0.6-5.0 mm long. The antennae are relatively short. The wing has strong veins along the anterior margin while the remaining veins are generally weak, and the fork of vein Cu is at the wing base. The larvae are dorsoventrally flattened with an exerted head capsule, meaning it cannot be retracted. They have a peripneustic respiratory system. Some taxa have spiracles on protuberances. Life cycle Eggs of Scatopsidae are laid on moist substrates in crescent-shaped masses of about 50-300 eggs. Females shortly after laying. The eggs take about 35 days to hatch, though it depends on temperature. The life cycle take 3-4 weeks to complete in the common species Coboldia fuscipes and S. notata. The adult stage is generally quite short, usually 2-3 or 4-5 days. Ecology Adult Scatopsidae live in various habitats, though they are more frequent and diverse in open, fresh and marshy habitats. Some species are known to feed on flowers, especially Apiaceae. Larvae live in various kinds of decomposing organic matter. Plant matter is