University of Michigan Biological Station

Biology 442 - Biology of Insects

Lecture Notes - Families of Diptera

1. Nematocera. Antennae with > 6 segments.
   1. Tipulidae (crane flies).
      1. Size - small to large.
      2. Diagnostic characters.
         1. v-shaped suture on thorax.
         2. long legs.
      3. Habitat. Woods and wet areas mainly.
      4. Food. Some larvae aquatic or semi-aquatic; some in fungi, soil, decaying wood; most eat decaying material, but some aquatics are predaceous. Most adults do not feed, some on nectar.
      5. Other. Resemble large mosquitoes. Extremely common. Difficult to get with all 6 legs.
   2. Mycetophilidae (fungus gnats).
      1. Size - small to medium.
      2. Diagnostic characters.
         1. Often with ocelli immediately adjacent to compound eye.
         2. Coxae elongate.
         3. Often hump-backed in appearance.
      3. Habitat. Moist or wet areas, common in woods.
      4. Food. Larvae usually in fungi or decaying material. Adults on flowers.
      5. Other.
   3. Cecidomyiidae (gall midges).
      1. Size - minute to small.
      2. Diagnostic characters.
         1. Venation greatly reduced.
         2. Antennae usually beadlike.
      3. Habitat. Various.
      4. Food. Most are gall formers in various plants. A few are predaceous or external feeders. Adults probably at nectar.
      5. Other. Paedogenesis common. Some are pests (Hessian fly on wheat). One of our most common is willow pine cone gall.
   4. Culicidae (mosquitoes).
      1. Size - small to medium.
      2. Diagnostic characters.
         1. Long proboscis.
         2. Scaly wings.
      3. Habitat. Anywhere their is standing water.
      4. Food. Larvae are aquatic detritivores, a few are predaceous. Adult females are blood feeders; males on nectar.
      5. Other. Several are very important disease vectors (malaria, yellow fever, filarasis, encephalitis). Pitcher plant mosquito.
   5. Simuliidae (black flies).
      1. Size - small.
      2. Diagnostic characters.
         1. Dark colored.
         2. Humpbacked.
         3. Relatively short antennae.
      3. Habitat. Near streams; larvae under stones in streams.
      4. Food. Larvae are filter feeders. Adult females are blood feeders; males ?.
      5. Other. Unlike mosquitoes they do not pierce, they slice open, secrete anticoagulant, and lap up blood. Most abundant in north.
   6. Chironomidae (midges).
      1. Size - small to medium.
      2. Diagnostic characters.
         1. Short proboscis.
         2. Without scaly wings.
         3. Long front legs.
         4. Male with very plumose antennae.
      3. Habitat. Anywhere near water.
      4. Food. Larvae (some known as bloodworms) are aquatic herbivores, omnivores, and detritivores,. Adults generally do not feed.
      5. Other. Very abundant. Sometimes will make approaching the blacklight difficult.
2. Brachycera. 3 seg. antennae; 3rd seg. may be annulated; may have arista or style.
   1. Tabanidae (horse flies and deer flies).
      1. Size - medium to large.
      2. Diagnostic characters.
         1. Empodia pulviliform.
         2. 3rd ant. seg. annulated, often with hump near base.
         3. Large calypters.
         4. Often with dark or patterned wings.
      3. Habitat. Near moist areas.
      4. Food. Larvae aquatic predators. Adult females blood feeders; males on nectar.
      5. Other. Can give a nasty bite, my least favorite of biting flies because of buzzing.
   2. Rhagionidae (snipe flies).
      1. Size - medium to large.
      2. Diagnostic characters.
         1. Empodia pulviliform.
         2. 3rd ant. seg. with long style.
         3. Long, tapering abdomen.
      3. Habitat. In moist places, especially woods.
      4. Food. Predaceous as larvae and adults.
      5. Other. Often with striped abdomen, dark brown/light brown.
   3. Stratiomyidae (soldier flies).
      1. Size - small to medium.
      2. Diagnostic characters.
         1. Empodia pulviliform.
         2. Branches of R crowded on costal margin.
         3. Wing often with fine longitudinal wrinkles.
      3. Habitat. Usually near moist areas.
      4. Food. Larvae may be aquatic algae feeders, detritivores, predaceous; some in dung, decaying matter, under bark. Adults on flowers.
      5. Other. Common on Great Lakes sand dunes. Some have bright green colors.
   4. Asilidae (robber flies).
      1. Size - medium to large.
      2. Diagnostic characters.
         1. Sunken vertex between eyes.
         2. Usually with long tapering abdomen.
      3. Habitat. Various.
      4. Food. Larvae predaceous in soil, decaying wood. Adults predaceous on the wing.
      5. Other. Some are excellent mimics of bumble bees.
   5. Bombyliidae (bee flies or hover flies).
      1. Size - medium to large.
      2. Diagnostic characters.
         1. Robust body.
         2. Very hairy.
         3. Often with long proboscis.
         4. Veins at end of wing curve forward in front of tip.
      3. Habitat. Wherever there are flowers, but especially open areas.
      4. Food. Larvae parasitic on other insects or predaceous on grasshopper eggs. Adults common on flowers.
      5. Other. Some oviposit while hovering over insect burrow or hole (on Cicindela).
   6. Empididae (dance flies).
      1. Size - small to medium.
      2. Diagnostic characters.
         1. Small, dark colored.
         2. Long tapering abdomen.
         3. r-m cross vein beyond basal 1/4 of wing.
         4. Male genitalia held above body.
      3. Habitat. Moist areas with much vegetation.
      4. Food. Larvae and adults predaceous. Some adults feed on nectar.
      5. Other. Have elaborate courtships where gifts are offered to females. Nice evolutionary sequence in behaviors.
   7. Dolichopodidae (long-legged flies).
      1. Size - small to medium.
      2. Diagnostic characters.
         1. Usually metallic.
         2. Long tapering abdomen.
         3. r-m cross vein in basal 1/4 of wing.
         4. Male genitalia held under body.
         5. Long legs.
      3. Habitat. Common near streams and swamps, woods and meadows.
      4. Food. Larvae probably predaceous. Adults may be predaceous, also on flowers.
   8. Syrphidae (flower flies).
      1. Size - small to large.
      2. Diagnostic characters.
         1. With frontal suture: ptilinum (all families from here down).
         2. Usually with arista (all families from hear down).
         3. Long, pointed anal cell.
         4. Spurious vein.
      3. Habitat. Various, but near flowers.
      4. Food. Larvae highly varied: predators on aphids, in social insect nests, in decaying vegetation, aquatic (especially in polluted waters - rat-tailed maggots), herbivorous. Adults on flowers.
      5. Other. Highly variable in appearance. Some excellent mimics. You will get tired of finding these when keying.
   9. Conopidae (thick-headed flies).
      1. Size - small to medium.
      2. Diagnostic characters.
         1. Long, pointed anal cell.
         2. Long proboscis, with grooved face.
         3. Abdomen often stalked.
      3. Habitat. In habitats where bees and wasps are common.
      4. Food. Larvae parasitize bees and wasps. Adults feed on flowers.
      5. Other. Oviposition occurs during flight, like a canopener prying open between segments.
   10. Tephritidae (fruit flies).
       1. Size - small to medium.
       2. Diagnostic characters.
          1. Patterned wings.
          2. SC bent at right angle to costa.
       3. Habitat. Various.
       4. Food. Larvae on plants, often fruits. Adults on flowers.
       5. Other. Many are bad pests of crops (med fly). Common one here is goldenrod gall fly. Adults often move wings up and down when landed as a display.
   11. Sciomyzidae (marsh flies).
       1. Size - small to medium.
       2. Diagnostic characters.
          1. Head and antennae forward projecting.
          2. Bristle on inner surface of mid-femur.
          3. Usually yellowish-brown with patterned wings.
       3. Habitat. Near wet places.
       4. Food. Larvae are predaceous on snails, snail eggs and slugs. Adults on flowers.
       5. Other.
   12. Drosophilidae (pomace flies).
       1. Size - small.
       2. Diagnostic characters.
          1. Costa twice broken (once at end of humeral vein, once at end of SC).
          2. Small size.
       3. Habitat. Near rotting fruit or fungi.
       4. Food. Larvae feed on fungi growing on fruit. Adults feed there also and liquids.
       5. Other. Used extensively in genetics work - Drosophila melanogaster, Hawaiian Drosophila. Salivary chromosomes.
   13. Scathophagidae (dung flies).
       1. Size - medium.
       2. Diagnostic characters.
          1. Calypters large (all families from here down).
          2. Hypopleura or pteropleura w/o bristles.
          3. Cu + 2A reaches wing margin.
          4. No hairs under scutellum.
          5. Usually 1 sternopleural bristle.
       3. Habitat. Near dung.
       4. Food. Larvae in dung, some herbivores. Some adults on flowers.
       5. Other. Most common are hairy and yellow.
   14. Anthomyiidae.
       1. Size - medium.
       2. Diagnostic characters.
          1. Hypopleura or pteropleura without bristles.
          2. Cu + 2A reaches wing margin.
          3. Hairs under scutellum or 4 sternopleural bristles.
       3. Habitat. Various.
       4. Food. Larvae mostly herbivorous. Adults on flowers.
       5. Other.
   15. Muscidae.
       1. Size - small to medium.
       2. Diagnostic characters.
          1. Hypopleura or pteropleura without bristles.
          2. Cu + 2A does not reach wing margin.
       3. Habitat. Various.
       4. Food. Larvae feed in filth of many kinds. Adults around these areas and on flowers.
       5. Other. Some very important disease vectors: house fly ( typhoid fever, dysentery, anthrax); face fly of cattle; tse-tse fly (sleeping sickness or river blindness); stable fly (both sexes bite).
   16. Calliphoridae (blow flies).
       1. Size - medium.
       2. Diagnostic characters.
          1. Hypopleura and pteropleura with bristles.
          2. Postscutellum not well developed.
          3. Usually metallic.
          4. Arista plumose to the tip.
          5. Usually 2 notopleural bristles.
       3. Habitat. Near larval habitats or on flowers.
       4. Food. Larvae scavengers in carrion, excrement, other similar things. Adults on flowers.
       5. Other. Screw worm of cattle important pest, controlled by sterile male release.
   17. Sarcophagidae (flesh flies).
       1. Size - small to large.
       2. Diagnostic characters.
          1. Hypopleura and pteropleura with bristles.
          2. Postscutellum not well developed.
          3. Arista bare or plumose only on base.
          4. Usually black and gray patterned.
          5. Usually 4 notopleural bristles.
       3. Habitat. Various.
       4. Food. Larvae scavengers, parasitoids on other insects or in nests of bees and wasps. Adults at nectar and sap (or on your sweat).
       5. Other. One here controls populations of tent caterpillars.
   18. Tachinidae.
       1. Size - small to large.
       2. Diagnostic characters.
          1. Hypopleura and pteropleura with bristles..
          2. Postscutellum well developed (spare tire).
          3. Arista usually bare.
          4. Often very bristly.
       3. Habitat. Various.
       4. Food. Larvae parasitoids on other insects. Adults on flowers or sap.
       5. Other. Some important as biocontrol agents.

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