5.
ORDER Diptera: True flies Mosquitoes and Gnats
Etymology: Greek words “di” meaning two and “ptera” meaning wings
Holometabola i.e. complete metamorphosis
• Front wings membranous; hind wings modified as small halters (small club-shaped
organs)
Source: https://www.bobs-bugs.info/2013/12/20/diptera-true-flies/
Haustellate mouthparts (Haustellate describes insect mouthparts that are adapted for sucking
up liquids - piercing-sucking in mosquitoes and sponging in some flies like housefly
Mosquito Piercing mouthparts Housefly sponging mouthpart
Image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insect_mouthparts ( Source: https://www.paul-pfurtscheller.com/cópia-bilder-
bestellen)
• All Dipteran larvae are legless and called maggots.
Image source: By Paul venter - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22589102
The Diptera is divided into three suborders:
1. Nematocera (flies with multi-segmented antennae)
2. Brachycera (flies with stylate antennae)
3. Cyclorrhapha (flies with aristate antennae)
Dipterans are highly adaptive strong fliers with the highest wingbeat. They survive in a wide
range of substrates. Some of the functional groups of Diptera are given below
Group Common Name Life History Strategy Families / Species
Larvae feed on
Calliphoridae (blow flies),
decaying organic
Saprophagous Decomposers Sarcophagidae (flesh flies),
matter (plants,
Muscidae (houseflies)
animals, dung)
Larvae develop in
Coprophagous Dung feeders Scathophagidae, Sepsidae
animal faeces
Larvae feed on fungi Mycetophilidae (fungus
Mycophagous Fungus feeders
or mould gnats), Sciaridae
Agromyzidae (leaf miners),
Larvae mine, bore, or
Phytophagous Plant feeders Tephritidae (fruit flies),
gall plants
Cecidomyiidae (gall midges)
Syrphidae (hoverfly larvae),
Larvae prey on other
Predatory Insect predators Asilidae (robber flies -
insect larvae or eggs
predatory adults)
Internal Larvae parasitize other
Tachinidae (parasitoid flies),
Parasitic parasites of insects (especially
Conopidae (bee parasites)
other insects caterpillars)
Adult females feed on Culicidae (mosquitoes),
vertebrate blood; Tabanidae (horse flies),
Hematophagous Blood-feeders
larvae often aquatic or Simuliidae (black flies),
semi-aquatic Phlebotomidae (sand flies)
Adults feed on nectar
Nectivorous / Non- Pollinators / or do not feed; larvae Syrphidae, Tipulidae (crane
feeding Adults Short-lived usually detritivores or flies)
aquatic
Larvae live in aquatic
Aquatic or Semi- Water- Chironomidae (non-biting
habitats (clean or
aquatic Larvae associated midges), Culicidae, Simuliidae
polluted)
Robber fly Horsefly
Economic Importance:
• The Diptera probably have a greater economic impact on humans than any other group
of insects.
• Some flies are pests of agricultural plants, others transmit diseases to humans and
domestic animals.
• Many flies are beneficial as pollinators, decomposers and as biocontrol agents of insect
pests.
Some interesting trivia about Dipterans
1. A shore fly species, Ephydra brucei, lives in hot springs and geysers where the
water temperature exceeds 112 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. The petroleum fly, Helaeomyia petrolei develop in pools of crude oil.
3. The brine fly or alkali fly, Ephydra cinera, can survive very high concentrations of
salt. Ephydra hians found in Mono Lake, California, is known for diving into salty
waters with an air bubble.
4. The little scuttle fly, Megaselia scataris (Phoridae), a true omnivore, has been
reared from decaying vegetation, shoe polish, paint emulsions, human cadavers
pickled in formalin, and even lung tissue from living people.
5. The arista in the antenna of higher flies is an air speed indicator.
The arista is a simple or variously modified apical or subapical bristle, arising from the third
antennal segment
(Image source: By Halvard https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34787522)
