Diptera Families

Nematocera

Tipulidae

1. Mosquitolike with very long legs that break easily
2. Mesonotum with V-shaped suture
3. Wings elongate, rather narrow
4. Ocelli absent
5. Size variable 2-60 mm

Bibionidae

1. Stout-bodied usually black
2. Head distinctive, more elongate in females
3. Upper 2/3 of male eyes consisting of larger facets.
4. Ocelli present, situated on a well-developed prominence
5. Antennae usually short, arising low on face
6. Anal angle of wing well-developed
7. Tibiae with apical spurs.

Mycetophilidae

1. Mosquitolike, slender
2. Elongated coxae
3. Thoracic and tibial bristles often strong
4. Wings often conspicuously marked.
5. Ocelli present
6. Eyes do not meet above antennae
7. 2.2-13 mm long

Sciaridae

1. Similar to Mycetophilidae
2. Small flies 1-11 mm
3. Eyes meet above antennae
4. Tibiae with 1 or 2 apical spurs
5. Abdomen usually strongly tapering in females
6. Ocelli present

Cecidomyiidae

1. Minute flies, 1-5 mm
2. Antennae usually long
3. Wing veins generally weak, reduced in number
4. Tibial spurs absent

Psychodidae

1. Small thickly haired flies, with characteristic short and erratic flight.
2. Wings hairy, held rooflike, pointed apically
3. Longitudinal veins well-developed, crossveins absent or restricted to basal half of wing.

Ptychopteridae

1. Slender flies of moderate size.
2. Legs long, sometimes conspicuouly banded with white.
3. Wings slender
4. Abdomen long
5. Ocelli lacking

Culicidae

1. Slender, delicate flies, 3-9 mm long.
2. Legs slender.
3. Proboscis slender, much longer than head, stylet-like
4. Wing veins and usually most of the body covered with scales

Simuliidae

1. Small, stout flies, 1.2-5.5 mm long
2. Humpbacked appearance
3. Usually black or dark brown in color
4. Legs short
5. Wings broad, anterior veins strong, posterior veins weak.
6. Antennae short

Ceratopogonidae

1. Small flies 1-6 mm
2. Females with biting, sucking mouthparts
3. Eyes continuing around base of antennae
4. Wings often strongly patterned.
5. Ocelli absent
6. Front tarsi not lengthened

Chironomidae

1. Small to medium size flies 1-10 mm
2. Wings long and narrow
3. Eyes variable sometimes continuing around base of antennae
4. Ocelli absent
5. Front tarsi lengthened
6. Antennae in males plumose

Brachycera

Tabanidae

1. Moderate to large flies, 6-30 mm long
2. Third antennal segment elongate
3. Calypters large
4. R4 and R5 divergent, enclosing wingtip

Rhagionidae

1. Slender flies, 4-15 mm long.
2. Third antennal segment rounded and bearing a long slender terminal style.
3. Calypters small or vestigal
4. Venation normal
5. Color drab but frequently with yellow or orange markings.

Stratiomyidae

1. Slender to robust flies, 2-18 mm long.
2. Color usually yellow, green, blue, or black, sometimes metallic.
3. Bristles not developed those sometimes quite hairy
4. Third antennal segment rounded or elongate
5. Branches of R crowded toward anterior part of wing, with R5 ending in front of wing tip.

   Brachycera continued

   Infraorder Asilomorpha

   Mydidae (mydas flies)

   1. Large flies about 9-60 mm in length
   2. Second abdominal segment yellowish or orange
   3. Antennae four-segmented, last segment enlarged
   4. M1 ends at or in front of wing tip
   5. Hind femor usually swollen

   Asilidae (robber flies)

   1. Top of head hollowed out between eyes.
   2. Third antennal segment usually elongate.
   3. Face usually bearded.
   4. Variable size 3-50 mm

   Bombyliidae (bee flies)

   1. Usually stout-bodied and hairy
   2. Proboscis often long but not always.
   3. M1 ends behind wing tip.
   4. Wings often patterned.

   Dolichopodidae (long-legged flies)

   1. Usually metallic green or coppery, 0.8-9 mm long
   2. Rs two-branched
   3. Antennae usually aristate
   4. R-m cross-vein in basal 1/4 of wing or absent.

   Infraorder Muscomorpha (Cyclorrhapha)
   Division Aschiza

   Without a frontal suture

   Phoridae (humpbacked flies)

   1. Small to minute flies, 0.5-5mm long
   2. Appear humpbacked
   3. Wings with strong veins in costal area other veins weaker.
   4. Hind femora flattened
   5. Antennae short with the third segment usually globular and bearing an arista.

   Syrphidae (flower flies)

   1. Spurious vein between R and M.
   2. R5 cell closed.
   3. Anal cell long, closed near wing margin.
   4. Often with yellow, orange, and black markings (similar to bees and wasps). Many species mimic Hymenoptera
   5. Hairy

   Division Schizophora

   With a frontal suture

   Section Acalyptratae

   Conopidae (thick-headed flies)

   1. Veination like the Syrphidae but lack spurious vein.
   2. Proboscis long and slender, often folding.
   3. Abdomen slender, narrowed at base

   Otitidae (picture-winged flies)

   1. Wings often patterned
   2. Sc complete only slightly curved at tip
   3. Anal cell with a distal projection
   4. Small to medium sized flies, 3-12 mm in length

   Tephritidae (fruit flies)

   1. Wings often patterned
   2. Sc abruptly curved at tip, appearing not to reach costa.
   3. Anal cell with a distal projection
   4. Small to medium sized flies, 3-12 mm in length

   Sciomyzidae (marsh flies)

   1. Antennae projecting forward with the second or third segments often elongate.
   2. R1 ends at middle of front wing margin
   3. Middle femora with a characteristic bristle near middle of anterior surface.
   4. Oral vibrissae absent.
   5. Wings often patterned.

   Drosophilidae (pomace or small fruit flies)

   1. Usually yellowish, 3-4 mm in length
   2. Costa broken near end of R1 and near end of humeral cross-vein.
   3. Oral vibrissae present
   4. Arista plumose

   Section Calyptratae

   Anthomyiidae (anthomyiid flies)

   1. House fly-like in appearance but somewhat smaller, 2-12 mm in length.
   2. R5 cell parallel-sided
   3. Hypopleura without bristles
   4. 2A reaches wing margin at least as fold.
   5. Often with fine erect hairs on undersurface of the scutellum.

   Muscidae (muscid flies)

   1. R5 cell parallel-sided or narrowed distally
   2. Hypopleura without bristles
   3. 2A short, not reaching wing margin
   4. Undersurface of the scutellum.without fine erect hairs

   Calliphoridae (blow or blue/green bottle flies)

   1. Body often blue or green metallic
   2. Arista plumose
   3. Postscutellum not developed.
   4. R5 cell narrowed distally
   5. Robust medium to large flies, 4-16 mm in length

   Sarcophagidae (flesh flies)

   1. Body never blue or green metallic, often black with grey stripes.
   2. Arista plumose only in basal half.
   3. Postscutellum not developed.
   4. R5 cell narrowed distally
   5. Robust medium to large flies, 2.5-18 mm in length

   Tachinidae (tachinid flies)

   1. Postscutellum well-developed.
   2. Arista usually bare.
   3. R5 cell narrowed or closed distally
   4. Minute to large flies
   5. Second largest family in Diptera. About 8,000 species World-wide

   Hippoboscidae (louse flies)

   1. Louse-like, winged or wingless
   2. Robust and more or less flattened, 1.5-12 mm in length
   3. Antennae and mouthparts highly specialized. Mouthparts displaced anteriorly.