| Scathophagidae | |
|---|---|
| |
| Male Scathophaga stercoraria, the yellow dung fly | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Diptera |
| Superfamily: | Muscoidea |
| Family: | Scathophagidae Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 |
| Subfamilies | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
The Scathophagidae are a small family of Muscoidea which are often known as dung flies, although this name is not appropriate except for a few species of the genus Scathophaga which do indeed pass their larval stages in animal dung. The name probably derives from the yellow dung fly (Scathophaga stercoraria), which is one of the most abundant and ubiquitous flies in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere.