The Anthomyiidae are a large and diverse family of Muscoidea flies. Most look rather like small houseflies, but are
                   commonly drab grey. Most are difficult to identify, apart from a few groups such as the kelp flies that are conspicuous on
                   beaches. The name Anthomyiidae was derived from Greek anthos (flower) plus myia (a fly). Some species are commonly
                   called "root-maggots", as the larvae are found in the stems and roots of various plants. Others are scavengers in such places
                   as birds' nests; yet other species are leaf miners; the family also includes inquilines, commensals, and parasitic larvae.
                   
                   Most adults feed on nectar. A few (Egle) feed on pollen, and may be important pollinators. Some (Alliopsis, Zaphne)
                   are predators. Larvae may feed on roots (Delia), leaves (Pegomya), or seeds (Delia, Egle); others live in bird nests
                   (Anthomyia), dung (Calythea, Eutrichota, Hylemya), mushrooms (Anthomyia, Pegomya) or as endoparasitoids of
                   grasshoppers (Acridomyia) or as kleptoparasites of Hymenoptera (Eustalomyia, Leucophora). [ref: BugGuide]

                   All the root-maggot flies shown here belong in genus Hylamya, most of which are found in moist habitats, leaf litter.

                   antho = flower; myia = fly; hyla = woods, all Greek