Abatetia facts for kids

Abatetia is a special group of flies that belongs to the family called Dolichopodidae. This group, known as a genus, has only one type of fly in it. This single species is named Abatetia robusta.

You can find these unique flies only in New Zealand.

About the Abatetia Fly

Abatetia robusta is a type of fly. It is part of a larger group of insects called Diptera, which includes all flies. This specific fly is known for its scientific name, which helps scientists around the world know exactly which creature they are talking about.

Where Does It Live?

The Abatetia robusta fly is native to New Zealand. This means it naturally lives and grows in New Zealand and nowhere else in the world. New Zealand is famous for its unique animals and plants.

How It Got Its Name

The story of how Abatetia got its name is quite interesting!

• First Name: In 1933, a scientist named Octave Parent first discovered this fly. He gave it the name Nelsonia.
• Name Already Taken: Later, another scientist, David Miller, found a problem. The name Nelsonia was already being used for a type of mouse since 1897. In science, each genus needs a unique name. When a name is already used, it's called "preoccupied."
• New Name: Because Nelsonia was already taken, David Miller gave the fly a new name in 1945: Abatetia.
• Back to Its Own Group: For some time, scientists thought this fly belonged to another group called Cymatopus. But in 1984, two scientists, Henk J. G. Meuffels and Patrick Grootaert, decided that Abatetia was different enough to be its own separate genus again. Since the old name Nelsonia was preoccupied, Abatetia became its official name.