?Diptera
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Subclass: Pterygota Infraclass: Neoptera Superorder: Endopterygota Order: Diptera Linnaeus, 1758
Suborders
Nematocera (includes Eudiptera) Brachycera Photograph taken January 30, 2004 by Eric Guinther captured two species of flies on an akoko (Chamaecyce celestroides) on Oahu in Hawaii. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms (as opposed to folk taxonomy). ... Phyla Subregnum Parazoa Porifera (sponges) Subregnum Agnotozoa Placozoa (trichoplax) Orthonectida (orthonectids) Rhombozoa (dicyemids) Subregnum Eumetazoa Radiata (unranked) (radial symmetry) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria (coral, jellyfish, anemones) Bilateria (unranked) (bilateral symmetry) Acoelomorpha (basal) Myxozoa (slime animals) Superphylum Deuterostomia (blastopore becomes anus) Chordata (vertebrates, etc. ... Subphyla and Classes Subphylum Trilobitomorpha Trilobita - trilobites (extinct) Subphylum Chelicerata Arachnida - spiders,scorpions, etc. ... Classes & Orders See taxonomy Insects are invertebrate animals of the Class Insecta, the largest and (on land) most widely-distributed taxon within the phylum Arthropoda. ... Orders     Palaeodictyoptera - extinct     Ephemeroptera (mayflies)     Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies)   Infraclass Neoptera     Blattodea (cockroaches)     Mantodea (mantids)     Isoptera (termites)     Zoraptera     Grylloblattodea (rock crawlers)     Dermaptera (earwigs)     Plecoptera (stoneflies)     Orthoptera (grasshoppers, crickets, katydids)     Phasmatodea (walking sticks, timemas)     Embioptera (webspinners)     Mantophasmatodea (gladiators)    Superorder Hemipterodea     Psocoptera (booklice, barklice)     Phthiraptera (lice)     Hemiptera (true bugs)     Thysanoptera (thrips)    Superorder... Orders     Blattodea (cockroaches)     Mantodea (mantids)     Isoptera (termites)     Zoraptera     Grylloblattodea     Dermaptera (earwigs)     Plecoptera (stoneflies)     Orthoptera (grasshoppers, crickets, katydids)     Phasmatodea (walking sticks, timemas)     Embioptera (webspinners)     Mantophasmatodea (gladiators)    Superorder Hemipterodea     Psocoptera (booklice, barklice)     Phthiraptera (lice)     Hemiptera (true bugs)     Thysanoptera (thrips)    Superorder Endopterygota     Miomoptera - extinct     Megaloptera (alderflies, etc. ... Orders Coleoptera (beetles) Diptera (flies and relatives) Hymenoptera (wasps and relatives) Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) Mecoptera Megaloptera Miomoptera (extinct) Neuroptera Raphidioptera (snakeflies) Siphonaptera (fleas) Strepsiptera Trichoptera (caddisflies) The Endopterygota, also known as Holometabola, are insects of the subclass Pterygota which go through distinctive larval, pupal, and adult stages. ... Carolus Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as , (May 23, 1707 – January 10, 1778), was a Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist[1] who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of nomenclature. ... Nematocera are generally primitive flies, all with filamentous antennae which may be plumose in some males. ... Infraorder Deuterophlebiomorpha Tipulomorpha Culicomorpha Bibionomorpha Blephariceromorpha Axymyiomorpha Ptychopteromorpha Eudiptera is a suborder of Diptera. ... Infraorder Orthorrhapha Cyclorrhapha Muscomorpha Brachycera is a suborder of Diptera. ...

Diptera (di - two, ptera - wings), or true flies, is the order of insects possessing only a single pair of wings on the mesothorax; the metathorax bears a pair of drumstick like structures called the halteres, the remnants of the hind wings. It is a large order, containing an estimated 200,000 species, although under half of these (about 85,000 species) have been described. It is one of the major insect orders both in terms of ecological and human (medical and economic) importance. The Diptera, in particular the Culicidae, are of phenomenal historical and current importance as disease transmitters. The study of the Diptera is called dipterology. Scientific classification or biological classification refers to how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Classes & Orders See taxonomy Insects are invertebrate animals of the Class Insecta, the largest and (on land) most widely-distributed taxon within the phylum Arthropoda. ... The forewing and hindwing of a bee. ... The mesothorax is the middle of the three segments in the thorax of an insect, and bears the second pair of legs. ... The metathorax is the posterior of the three segments in the thorax of an insect, and bears the third pair of legs. ... Halteres, (singular halter or haltere) from the Greek word for dumbbells, are small knobbed structures homologous to wings and flapped to maintain stability when flying. ... The forewing and hindwing of a bee. ... In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biodiversity. ... This article is about the insect; for the WWII aircraft see De Havilland Mosquito. ...

Diptera include flies, mosquitoes, gnats and midges. In compound names containing "fly" for members of this order, the name is normally written as two words, as in "crane fly", though there are a few historical exceptions, such as "sandfly" and "blackfly". For insects that are members of other orders the name should always be written as a single word as in "butterfly", "scorpionfly", etc. Suborders Nematocera Brachycera Dance fly male Empis tesselata The flesh fly, Sarcophaga carnaria Close-up of the head of a blow-fly. ... Genera See text. ... The name gnat is applied to small insects in the order Diptera (the true Flies) and specifically within the suborder Nematocera. ... Midges on a car Midges are small, two-winged flying insects. ... Genera Over 14,000 The crane flies are a family (Tipulidae) of insects resembling giant mosquitoes. ... Sandfly is the common name of a flying, biting, blood-sucking insect found in many countries. ... Blackfly was a Canadian sitcom which ran on the Global Television Network for two seasons. ... Families Superfamily Hesperioidea: Hesperiidae Superfamily Papilionoidea: Papilionidae Pieridae Nymphalidae Lycaenidae Riodinidae A butterfly is an insect of the Order Lepidoptera, and belongs to one of the superfamilies Hesperioidea (the skippers) or Papilionoidea (all other butterflies). ... Families Nannochoristidae Boreidae (snow fleas) Siphonaptera (fleas) Meropeidae (earwig flies) Eomeropidae Apteropanorpidae Choristidae Panorpodidae Bittacidae (hanging flies) Panorpidae (scorpion flies) Mecoptera are an order of insects with about 600 species worldwide. ...

Diptera are a very diverse order with many different ecological roles. Diptera may be predaceous, herbivorous, endo- and ectoparasitic, saprophagous, necrophagous, etc. Various species are secondarily wingless (especially in the superfamily Hippoboscoidea, or those that are inquilines in social insect colonies). A parasite is an organism that lives in or on the living tissue of a host organism at the expense of that host. ... A parasite is an organism that lives in or on the living tissue of a host organism at the expense of that host. ... A dung beetle rolling a ball of dung Detritivores (also known as saprophages, detrivores or detritus feeders) are organisms that recycle detritus (decomposing organic material), returning it into the food chain. ... Necrophagy is the act of feeding on corpses or carrion. ... Families  Glossinidae  Hippoboscidae  Mormotomyiidae  Nycteribiidae  Streblidae Hippoboscoidea is a superfamily of Calyptratae. ... An inquiline is an animal that lives commensally in the nest, burrow, or dwelling place of an animal of another species. ...

Anatomy

CSIRO present an introduction to the external anatomy of the Diptera

Classification overview

There are two generally accepted suborders of Diptera. The Nematocera are usually recognized by their elongated bodies and feathery antennae as represented by mosquitoes and crane flies. The Brachycera tend to have a more roundly proportioned body and very short antennae. A more recent classification has been proposed in which the Nematocera is split into two suborders, the Archidiptera and the Eudiptera, but this has not yet gained widespread acceptance among dipterists. Nematocera are generally primitive flies, all with filamentous antennae which may be plumose in some males. ... Infraorder Orthorrhapha Cyclorrhapha Muscomorpha Brachycera is a suborder of Diptera. ... Infraorders Infraorder Nymphomyiomorpha    Nymphomyiidae Infraorder Dictyodipteromorpha extinct  Superfamily Dictyodipteridea    Dictyodipteridae _ (Upper Triassic)  Superfamily Hyperpolyneuridea    Hyperpolyneuridae _ (Upper Triassic)  Superfamily Dyspolyneuridea    Dyspolyneuridae _ (Upper Triassic) Infraorder Diplopolyneuromorpha extinct    Diplopolyneuridae _ (Upper Triassic) Archidiptera is a suborder of Diptera. ... Infraorder Deuterophlebiomorpha Tipulomorpha Culicomorpha Bibionomorpha Blephariceromorpha Axymyiomorpha Ptychopteromorpha Eudiptera is a suborder of Diptera. ...

1. Suborder Nematocera – long antennae, pronotum distinct from mesonotum. In Nematocera larvae are either eucephalic or hemicephalic and often aquatic.
2. Suborder Brachycera – short antennae, the pupa is inside a puparium formed from the last larval skin. Brachycera are generally robust flies with larvae having reduced mouthparts.
   1. Infraorders Tabanomorpha and Asilomorpha – these comprise the majority of what was the Orthorrhapha under older classification schemes. The antennae are short, but differ in structure from those of the Muscomorpha.
   2. Infraorder Muscomorpha – (largely the Cyclorrhapha of older schemes). Muscomorpha have 3-segmented, aristate (with a bristle) antennae and larvae with three instars that are acephalic (maggots).

Most of the Muscomorpha are further subdivided into the Acalyptratae and Calyptratae based on whether or not they have a calypter (a wing flap that extends over the halteres). The pronotum is the dorsal plate of the prothorax in insects ... The mesothorax is the middle of the three segments in the thorax of an insect, and bears the second pair of legs. ... Chrysalis of Gulf Fritillary in Georgetown, South Carolina Pupation of Inachis io A pupa (plural: pupae or pupas) is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation. ... A larva (Latin; plural larvae) is a juvenile form of animal with indirect development, undergoing metamorphosis (for example, insects or amphibians). ... Families Alinkidae- extinct (Triassic) Athericidae- ibis flies Austroleptidae Eostratiomyiidae- extinct (Middle Jurassic) Oreoleptidae Pelecorhynchidae Rhagionidae- snipe flies Spaniidae Tabanidae- horse and deer flies The Brachyceran infraorder Tabanomorpha is a small group that consists primarily of two large families, the Tabanidae (horse and deer flies) and Rhagionidae (snipe flies), and an... Superfamilies Asiloidea Empidoidea Nemestrinoidea The Brachyceran infraorder Asilomorpha is a large and diverse group of flies, containing the bulk of the non-muscoid Brachycera. ... Superfamilies See text. ... Sections Aschiza Schizophora see text for superfamilies The Brachyceran infraorder Muscomorpha is a large and diverse group of flies, containing the bulk of the Brachycera, and, in fact, most of the known Diptera. ... Sections Aschiza Schizophora see text for superfamilies The Brachyceran infraorder Muscomorpha is a large and diverse group of flies, containing the bulk of the Brachycera, and, in fact, most of the known Diptera. ... Superfamilies  Section Aschiza   Superfamily Platypezoidea    Phoridae    Sciadoceridae    Opetiidae    Ironomyiidae    Lonchopteridae    Platypezidae   Superfamily Syrphoidea    Syrphidae    Pipunculidae  Section Schizophora  Sub-section Acalyptratae   Superfamily Conopoidea    Conopidae   Superfamily Tephritoidea    Ctenostyldae    Lonchaeidae    Pallopteridae    Piophilidae    Platystomatidae    Pyrgotidae    Richardiidae    Tachiniscidae    Tephritidae    Ulidiidae   Superfamily Nerioidea    Cypselosomatidae    Megamerinidae    Micropezidae    Neriidae    Pseudopomyzidae   Superfamily Diopsoidea    Diopsidae    Gobryidae    Nothybidae    Psilidae    Somatiidae    Syringogastridae... Antennae (singular antenna), are the paired appendages connecting to the first (and in crustaceans also to the second) segment of the head of the members of all subphyla of the arthropods except Chelicerata. ... An instar is a developmental stage of arthropods, such as insects, between each molt. ... Superfamilies   Superfamily Conopoidea    Conopidae   Superfamily Tephritoidea    Ctenostyldae    Lonchaeidae    Pallopteridae    Piophilidae    Platystomatidae    Pyrgotidae    Richardiidae    Tachiniscidae    Tephritidae    Ulidiidae   Superfamily Nerioidea    Cypselosomatidae    Megamerinidae    Micropezidae    Neriidae    Pseudopomyzidae   Superfamily Diopsoidea    Diopsidae    Gobryidae    Nothybidae    Psilidae    Somatiidae    Syringogastridae    Tanypezidae   Superfamily Sciomyzoidea    Coelopidae    Dryomyzidae    Helosciomyzidae    Ropalomeridae    Sepsidae    Sciomyzidae   Superfamily Sphaeroceroidea    Chyromyidae    Heleomyzidae    Sphaeroceridae   Superfamily Lauxanioidea    Celyphidae    Chamaemyiidae    Eurychoromyiidae... Superfamilies  Muscoidea  Oestroidea  Hippoboscoidea Calyptratae is a subsection (phenetics) of Schizophora. ...

Beyond that, considerable revision in the taxonomy of the flies has taken place since the introduction of modern cladistic techniques, and much remains uncertain. The secondary ranks between the suborders and the families are more out of practical or historical considerations than out of any strict respect for phylogenetic classifications. (Modern cladists tend to spurn the use of Linnaean rank names.) Nearly all classifications in use now, including this article, contain some paraphyletic groupings; this is emphasized where the numerous alternative systems are most greatly at odds. Paraphyletic - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

Current suborders and families

There are two suborders: the Nematocera divided into 77 families of which 35 are extinct ( fossil only ) and the Brachycera with 141 families of which 8 are extinct. See Families of Diptera. In biology and ecology, extinction is the ceasing of existence of a species or group of species. ... An ammonite fossil Fossils (from Latin fossus, literally having been dug up) are the mineralized or otherwise preserved remains or traces (such as footprints) of animals, plants, and other organisms. ... Families of Diptera // Nematocera Anisopodidae Edwards, 1921 Synonyms: Phryneidae, Rhyphidae, Sylvicolidae, Mycetobiidae, Protolbiogastridae. ...

Obsolete names in Diptera

There are many names at the family level or above that have been used historically, even some of recent vintage, that are already obsolete or simply not recognized or universally accepted by the dipterological community. For a rather exhaustive list of such names (esp. for those readers who may be wondering why they cannot find a familiar name), please see the List of obsolete names in Diptera. The higher-level classification of the insect order Diptera is in a constant state of flux, and over the last several decades, a vast number of names have been variously proposed, rejected, had their definitions changed, or altered spelling. ...

References

Biology

• Harold Oldroyd The Natural History of Flies. New York: W. W. Norton.1965.
• Eugène Séguy Diptera: recueil d'etudes biologiques et systematiques sur les Dipteres du Globe (Collection of biological and systematic studies on Diptera of the World). 11 vols. Text figs. Part of Encyclopedie Entomologique, Serie B II: Diptera. 1924-1953.
• Eugène Seguy. La Biologie des Dipteres 1950. pp. 609. 7 col + 3 b/w plates, 225 text figs.

Harold Oldroyd was a British entomologist, born in 1914. ...

Classification

• Colless, D.H. & McAlpine, D.K.1991 Diptera (flies) , pp. 717-786. In: The Division of Entomology. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Canberra (spons.), The insects of Australia.Melbourne Univ. Press, Melbourne.
• Griffiths, G.C.D. The phylogenetic classification of Diptera Cyclorrhapha, withspecial reference to the structure of the male postabdomen. Ser. Ent. 8, 340 pp. [Dr. W. Junk, N. V., The Hague] (1972).
• Hendel, F. 1935 Bemerkungen zu "The families and genera of North American Diptera" by C. H.Curran,New-York 1934. Konowia 14: 51-57. [1935.03.15]
• Willi Hennig Die Larvenformen der Dipteren. 3. Teil. Akad.-Verlag, Berlin. 185 pp., 3 pls. 1948 and
• Flugelgeader und System der Dipteren unter Berucksichtigung der aus dem Mesozoikum beschriebenen Fossilien. Beitr. Ent. 4: 245-388 (1954).

A very well-researched reference list of works on the Phylogeny (Classification and Identification of Diptera) is provided by Thompson as a pdf [1] Willi Hennig (April 20, 1913 - November 5, 1976) was a German biologist and is known as the founder of phylogenetic systematics (cladistics). ... In biology, phylogenetics (Greek: phylon = tribe, race and genetikos = relative to birth, from genesis = birth) is the study of evolutionary relatedness among various groups of organisms (e. ...

Evolution

Blagoderov, V.A., Lukashevich, E.D. & Mostovski, M.B. 2002. Order Diptera. In: Rasnitsyn, A.P. and Quicke, D.L.J. The History of Insects, Kluwer Publ., Dordrecht, Boston, London, pp. 227-240. Alexandr (Alex) Rasnitsyn One of world leading experts in palaeoentomology. ...

Identification

• Erwin Lindner Die Fliegen der Paläarktischen Region. The available parts of this very large work are listed on the publishers website [2]. Band 1 Handbuch, by Lindner himself, contains a history of dipterology, with sections on morphology, physiology and taxonomy with a key to families and short notes on each. The work is finished and almost all parts are out of date but it remains the essential work.
• Faune de France Lechevalier, Paris. The many parts of this work are listed on the publishers website [3]. Less comprehensive than Lindner and , similarly, out of date but more convenient to use. The best parts are Parent on Dolichopodidae and Séguy’s large part 28 on Muscidae (including Anthomyiidae) Scathophagidae and Acalyptratae).
• Diptera of European part of Russia and Diptera of Far East of the U.S.S.R. in Fauna of the U.S.S.R. (New Series Fauna SSSR)

(Nasekomye dvukrylye) Chief Editor: B.E. Bykhovskii; Editorial board: I.M. Gromov, A.S. Monchadskii, A .A. Shtakel’berg, 0-A. Skarlato, and A.A. Strelkov (Volume editor) Izdatel’stvo “Nauka”Leningradskoe Otdelenie Leningrad (St. Petersburg). In Russian but with very useful figures. Some parts have been translated. Can anyone add a full list and availalibility details? Erwin Lindner ( 1888 – 1988 ) was a German entomologist mainly interested in Diptera He was born in Böglins, Memmingen , 7 April 1888 and died in Stuttgart 30 November 1988, aged 100 years. ... Comparative anatomy is the study of similarities and differences in organisms. ... Physiology (in Greek physis = nature and logos = word) is the study of the mechanical, physical, and biochemical functions of living organisms. ... Look up taxonomy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The family Muscidae is found in the order Diptera. ... Anthomyiidae is a family of Muscoidea. ... The Scathophagidae is 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. ... Superfamilies   Superfamily Conopoidea    Conopidae   Superfamily Tephritoidea    Ctenostyldae    Lonchaeidae    Pallopteridae    Piophilidae    Platystomatidae    Pyrgotidae    Richardiidae    Tachiniscidae    Tephritidae    Ulidiidae   Superfamily Nerioidea    Cypselosomatidae    Megamerinidae    Micropezidae    Neriidae    Pseudopomyzidae   Superfamily Diopsoidea    Diopsidae    Gobryidae    Nothybidae    Psilidae    Somatiidae    Syringogastridae    Tanypezidae   Superfamily Sciomyzoidea    Coelopidae    Dryomyzidae    Helosciomyzidae    Ropalomeridae    Sepsidae    Sciomyzidae   Superfamily Sphaeroceroidea    Chyromyidae    Heleomyzidae    Sphaeroceridae   Superfamily Lauxanioidea    Celyphidae    Chamaemyiidae    Eurychoromyiidae...

• Willi Hennig Diptera (Zweifluger). Handb. Zool. Berl. 4 (2 ) (31):1-337. General introduction with key to World Families. In German.
• László Papp and Béla Darvas Contributions to a Manual of Palaearctic Diptera. This book series was written by a group of international scientists. (1992-2000).
• McAlpine, J. P. (ed.) Manual of Nearctic Diptera. Research Branch, Agriculture Canada Monograph 27, 28 & 32 1981-89. Very good family and other keys.
• Smith, KGV 1989 An introduction to the immature stages of British flies. Diptera (14). Handbks. Ident. Br. Insects 10(14). RESL Excellent introduction to Diptera larvae.

Willi Hennig (April 20, 1913 - November 5, 1976) was a German biologist and is known as the founder of phylogenetic systematics (cladistics). ...

Famous Dipterists

A list of famous Dipterists, the term for entomologists who specialised in the order Diptera, is found under Dipterists Early entomologists who described Diptera as parts of general entomological works are listed under Entomologists examples are: Entomology is the scientific study of insects. ...

External links

• Diptera.info This is an interactive site for dipterists from all continents dealing with all aspects of dipterology (the study of Diptera: flies and midges) and dipterists.
• Order Diptera - True Flies of North America
• Catalog of Neartic Diptera
• The Diptera Site
• The Bishop Museum Catalog of Fossil Diptera
• The Tree of Life Project
• Katalog der Dipteren Bayerns
• Flies Virginia Tech USA
• Species Accounts
• The British Dipterists Forum
• Ditteri Italian Photo Album
• Flies in Brisbane Australia (popular style)

Calliphoridae - greenbottle fly Image File history File linksMetadata Diptera_02gg. ... Subfamilies Calliphorinae Chrysomyiinae The Blowflies are members of the family Calliphoridae of flies (Diptera). ...

Sarcophagidae - flesh fly Image File history File linksMetadata Diptera_01gg. ... Subfamilies Miltogramminae Sarcophaginae Fleshflies, family Sarcophagidae, are insects that are often mistaken for common houseflies, although they are somewhat larger in size. ...

Muscidae - lesser house fly Image File history File linksMetadata Diptera_03gg. ... The family Muscidae is found in the order Diptera. ...

Dolichopodidae - longlegged fly Image File history File linksMetadata Golden-green-fly. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...