Kelp fly

They generally feed on stranded and rotting seaweed, particularly kelp in the wrack zone.

When conditions are suitable they are very numerous and may be ecologically important in the turnover of organic material on the coast.

[1] In this role they also may be an important item in the diet of beach-dwelling animals and birds.

In popular speech however, they are not clearly distinguished from other flies with similar feeding habits, such as the Heterocheilidae, the Helcomyzinae and sundry members of the Anthomyiidae.

[2] This article related to members of the muscomorph fly section Schizophora is a stub.