Order Diptera

COMMON NAME: FLIES

Flies differ from other insects by having only two true wings. The hind pair is reduced to small, club-like organs called halteres. A few flies, such as the sheep ked, are wingless. Many flies, including mosquitoes and horse flies, have piercing-sucking mouthparts. The house fly, however, possesses another type known as sponging mouthparts, which it uses to sponge up liquid food. Metamorphosis is complete, the life stages being the egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The larvae are generally called maggots, and the pupal cases are called puparia. Flies are found around flowers, decaying vegetation, on animals and in houses and barns.

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Examples

		Family: Tabanidae Tabanus atratus Fabricius Size: 7/8 to 1" (22-25 mm) Habitat: Often found with livestock
		Family: Asilidae Diogmites angustipennis (Loew) - Prairie Robber Fly Size: 1" (25 mm) Habitat: Prairie species found in late summer, feeds on many common insects.
		Family: Chironomidae Chironomus sp. - Midge Size: 1/4" (6 mm) Habitat: Larvae are found in small pools along streams.
**most of the images included in these pages are from the 'Insects in Kansas' Book. They are freely available for student and noncommercial use (according to their copyright agreement with each photographer) at the PDIS image site, http://www.pdis.org/default.aspx

For additional information on Diptera, please check out the following websites:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fly
• http://www.diptera.info/news.php