The Canthyloscelidae are a small family of midges closely related to the Scatopsidae.
Adults are small to medium-sized (2.5-9.0 mm) flies, relatively stout, usually dark coloured Nematocera with stout legs. They are associated with ancient woodland. Larvae are xylosaprophagous and live in the moist, rotting wood of stumps and fallen trees.[1]
Most are considered endangered due to the vulnerability of their habitat.
Originally considered to be two separate families, the Synneuridae and the Canthyloscelidae. Haenni [2] placed the Synneuridae as the subfamily Synneurinae. A phylogenetic reclassification by Amorim [3] has reduced the Synneurinae into a synonymy of Canthyloscelinae.
^Haenni J.-P. (1997). Family Canthyloscelidae. In Papp L. & Darvas B. (eds): Contributions to a Manual of Palaearctic Diptera. Nematocera and Lower Brachycera. Vol. 2. Budapest: Science Herald. pp. 273–279.
^Amorim D. de S. (2000). "A new phylogeny and phylogenetic classification for the Canthyloscelidae (Diptera: Psychodomorpha)". Canadian Journal of Zoology. 78 (6). Toronto: National Research Council Canada: 1067–1077. doi:10.1139/z00-010. ISSN1480-3283.