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Diptera
by John Jackman
Diptera - True Flies
Common names:
flies, midges,
gnats, mosquitoes
Metamorphosis:
homometabolous
Mouthparts:
piercing-sucking, cutting-sucking, cutting-lapping, and sponging
Key Characteristics: Diptera
are usually winged, but have only one pair of wings with few veins. Hind
wings are represented by a pair of slender, knobbed structures called
halteres that are reduced in size and sensory in function. Mouthparts are
formed for sucking or piercing and sucking. Fly larvae are known usually
as maggots; they are entirely unlike the adults. Flies occur in many
shapes and sizes.
Biology:
Diptera is a very
important group. The order includes forms that are parasitic, predaceous
and others that live on either living or dead plant or animal material.
Other members of the order cause much damage to crops. Many harmful flies,
such as mosquitoes, spread diseases (such as yellow fever and malaria) and
are responsible for millions of human deaths. Because many of the species
carry diseases, this is one of the most important orders from the
standpoint of human health.
Name derivation: Diptera =
Latin for “two” (di); “wings” (ptera)
AN
OVERVIEW
Class - Insecta
Order - Diptera
Families
Tipulidae - crane flies
Psychodidae - moth flies and sand flies
Chaoboridae - phantom midges
Culicidae - mosquitoes
Ceratopogonidae - biting midges, punkies, no-see-ums
Chironomidae - midges
Simuliidae - black flies or buffalo gnats
Bibionidae - march flies
Mycetophilidae - fungus gnats
Cecidomyiidae - gall midges
Stratiomyidae - soldier flies
Tabanidae - horse flies and deer flies
Mydidae - mydas flies
Asilidae - robber flies
Bombyliidae - bee flies
Empididae - dance flies
Dolichopodidae - long-legged flies
Phoridae – humpbacked flies
Syrphidae - syrphid flies or flower flies
Otitidae - picture-winged flies
Tephritidae - fruit flies
Drosophilidae - pomace flies, vinegar flies, small fruit flies
Agromyzidae - leafminer flies
Anthomyiidae - anthomyiid flies
Muscidae - muscid flies: house fly, face fly, horn fly, stable fly,
tsetse flies and others
Hippoboscidae - louse flies
Calliphoridae - blow flies
Sarcophagidae - flesh flies
Tachinidae - tachinid flies
A bit more about families...
Tipulidae - crane
flies Crane flies are the large, long-legged flies that we see early in
the spring. Adult crane flies can not bite and do not feed. They are often
mistaken for "giant mosquitoes" and sometimes called "mosquito hawks" with
the belief that they feed on mosquitoes. Neither of these names is very
appropriate. One entomologist, C. P. Alexander, studied nothing but crane
flies. He described over 3,000 species of crane flies and is considered
the entomologist that described the most species.
Psychodidae - moth flies and
sand flies
Moth flies get their name because the wings are covered with small scales
or hairs. They hold the wings over their back and they are all small. The
larvae grow in moist or wet habitats and they can tolerate pollution and
harsh chemicals. They are most often found in rest rooms when the adults
rest on the walls.
Chaoboridae - phantom midges
Phantom midges look much like mosquitoes as adults but they do not bite.
The larvae grow in water and are predators which feed on mosquito larvae.
The larvae are nearly clear in appearance in some of the species. Larvae
have the antennae modified into grasping or prehensile organs which are
used to capture prey.
Culicidae - mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are well known biters and many can transmit diseases. Some of
the diseases that mosquitoes can transmit are malaria, yellow fever,
dengue, filariasis and encephalitis. Larvae of mosquitoes develop in water
particularly standing water.
Ceratopogonidae - biting
midges, punkies, no-see-ums
Ceratopogonidae are small to tiny flies which develop along waterways.
They are often found along sandy beaches. They are easily overlooked yet
they can give a powerful bite when they take a blood meal. No-see-ums are
small enough that they can pass through window screens and many types of
mosquito netting.
Chironomidae - midges
This family is probably the most diverse in the family. None of the midges
in this family bite. Adults look much like mosquitoes. Larvae are small
and thin, usually white in color with a dark head. Larvae can be found in
the bottom of almost any permanent body of fresh water when they feed on
organic matter. They contribute to organic recycling and are important as
fish food. The genus Chironomus has red larvae called "bloodworms"
because they contain hemoglobin. They live in low oxygen habitats and use
hemoglobin to transport oxygen.
http://home.earthlink.net/~johnepler/
Simuliidae - black flies or
buffalo gnats
Larvae of black flies are found in flowing water. The larvae filter food
from the water as it passes by. They hold fast on the rocks with the help
of silk strands that they produce. The adults are small and humpbacked in
appearance. They are blood feeders on birds, mammals and people. They are
aggressive biters often crawling down into the hair of the host. They
inject anticoagulant into the host to keep the blood flowing while they
feed. Often a bite will continue to bleed after the feeding stops because
of the anticoagulant.
Bibionidae - march flies
March flies are medium sized, clumsy fliers as adults. The larvae are
seldom seen but develop in moist habitats like ditches, edges of ponds,
etc. Larvae feed on organic matter. The best known member of this family
is the lovebug, Plecia nearactica, which gets the name because they
are often found mating or "in copula". They have elaborate genitalia which
takes some time to get united and also to separate.
Mycetophilidae - fungus
gnats
Fungus gnats are a nuisance in greenhouses and sometimes in homes. The
larvae feed on organic matter in moist habitats, like flower pots. There
is some evidence that the maggots also feed on plant roots.
Cecidomyiidae - gall midges
Gall midges form irregular plant growth when the larvae feed. The galls
make the plants unsightly. This Hymenoptera family Cynipidae are also gall
making specialists.
Stratiomyidae - soldier
flies
Soldier flies are generally medium to large flies that are often brightly
colored. Many of them resemble wasps. Larvae feed on organic matter in
various moist habitats including dead animals, decaying matter, dung, and
under bark.
Tabanidae - horse flies and
deer flies
Tabanid larvae feed in moist habitats usually around standing water. The
adults are strong fliers that move well away of water. Adults take blood
meals and leave a painful bite. Deer flies are smaller than horse flies
and usually have patterns in the wings. Deer flies are called "green
heads" because of the color of their eyes or "cedar flies" because they
tend to rest on cedar trees.
http://eny3005.ifas.ufl.edu/lab1/Diptera/Tabanid.htm
Mydidae - mydas flies
This is a small family with only a few species. However, a few of the
species are quite large and are probably our largest Diptera.
Asilidae - robber flies
Robber flies sit in conspicuous locations in the middle of the summer.
They fly off of their perch to capture insects that are flying by. Most
robber flies are elongate and drab colored. However, a few of them are
mimics of bumblebees with bold black and yellow patterns.
http://www.geller-grimm.de/asilidae.htm
Dolichopodidae - long-legged
flies
Long-legged flies are small delicate flies with long legs and bright
metallic colors. They are common on flowers and in gardens. The larvae
feed in compost heaps and other organic matter. They can be quite common
but they are harmless.
Syrphidae - syrphid flies or
flower flies
Syrphid flies are also called flower flies or hover flies. They generally
are orange or yellow with black markings and can easily be mistaken for
wasps. They are common around flowers and can hover in mid air over a
flower. The larvae have a variety of habits: some maggots sit on plants
and feed on aphids, some are wood borers, and some feed in polluted water.
The genus Eristalis has larvae that are called rat-tailed maggots
or "mousies". The long tail is used to reach the surface of the water and
breath.
http://home.hccnet.nl/mp.van.veen/hf_index.html
Otitidae - picture-winged
flies
Otitidae are called picture-winged flies because most of them have
patterns in the wings. They are very common and can be found on logs,
brush piles, and leaves. They sometimes hold the wings upright and signal
for a mate by waving the wings.
Tephritidae - fruit flies
Tephritids are generally medium sided flies about the size of a house fly.
They have patterns in the wings. The larvae feed in plants stems and
fruit. Several important pests are in this family including the apple
maggot, Mediterranean fruit fly and Mexican fruit fly. These pests
interfere with fruit production and are the cause for various regulations
and quarantines that are designed to reduce the spread of these pests
around the world.
http://www.ens.gu.edu.au/fruitfly/home.htm
Drosophilidae - pomace
flies, vinegar flies, small fruit flies
These small fruit flies are likely to be the first to show up when you
have over-ripe bananas or other fruit that is decaying. They are important
to help break down organic matter like that. The genus Drosophila
has been easily reared in the laboratory and has been used to study
genetics for many years.
Agromyzidae - leafminer
flies
These flies are so small that the maggots can develop inside a leaf. The
maggots tunnel through the leaf making a larger tunnel as they grow. Adult
flies are so small that they are seldom seen. Various other insects in
other orders can also be leafminers.
Anthomyiidae - anthomyiid
flies
Flies in this family look much like house flies. Some of them have larvae
that feed on plants especially roots, some feed on dung, and others are
aquatic. Several are important pests of vegetables like the cabbage maggot
and onion maggot.
Muscidae - muscid flies:
house fly, horn fly, stable fly, tsetse flies and others
These flies are generally medium sized similar to the house fly. The
maggots develop in various habitats like dung piles and other organic
matter. Some of these like the horn fly and stable fly are pests as adults
because they feed on blood. House flies can not take a blood meal.
Hippoboscidae - louse flies
Louse flies are very unusual in biology and appearance. They are flattened
and wingless as adults. They feed on birds and mammals. Perhaps the best
know is the sheep ked which is a pest of sheep.
Calliphoridae - blow flies
These flies are about the size of a house fly or a little larger, but many
of them are brightly colored in green or blue. The arrive at a dead
animal, lay eggs and the maggots feed on the dead flesh. Most of them are
scavengers and some of the larvae can also feed on excrement. A few
species in this family have been reared under septic conditions and the
larvae are used for treating certain diseases.
Sarcophagidae - flesh flies
These flies look much like a house fly and most are blackish with grey
stripes. Larvae usually feed on some sort of animal material. There are
scavengers on dead animals, parasites of other insects, and a few that are
parasites of vertebrates.
Tachinidae - tachinid flies
These flies are generally large, dark colored, and have stiff large hairs.
Adults can be found on flowers where they feed on nectar. Larvae are often
internal parasites of various insects especially caterpillars, Hemiptera,
and Orthoptera. Sometimes caterpillars can be found with tachinid eggs on
the skin before they hatch.
RECOGNIZING
SOME GROUPS OF DIPTERA
*
The type of antennae are useful to divide the order. The more
“primitive” flies have multiple segments on the antennae. The more
“advanced” flies have the antennae reduced to a few segments and a few
long hairs.
* Wing veins are very important to separate a lot of the families. Often
you can compare the wing veins of a specimen with line drawings of various
families to get a good idea what are the likely families.
* Identification to family can be quite difficult for many flies.
Sometimes you need to locate specific hairs and compare the placement on
them to other flies to get the family correct. This takes a good
microscope, some training, and a good reference book.
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