-
What family does the housefly belong in?
Tabanidae
-
What does Diptera mean?
Two wings
-
What order do true flies belong in?
Diptera
-
What group of insects are found among the order Diptera?
True flies
-
What is a haltere?
They’re knob-like structures that are modified/reduced hind wings. Sit in nerve filled socket and provide useful information to the brain, like a gyroscopic flight indicator would on a plan. They are a synapomorphic trait among true flies.
-
Diptera mouth parts are not built for ________.
Chewing
-
How many described species of Diptera are there?
120,000 species
-
Are most Diptera nocturnal or diurnal?
Diurnal
-
How are flies important in relation to flowers?
Many species of Diptera are important pollinators.
-
Name the important families among the Diptera order.
- Culicidae (mosquitoes)
- Simuliidae (black flies)
- Tipulidae (crane flies)
- Ceratopogonidae (no-see-ums, biting midges, punkies)
- Tabanidae (horse and deer flies)
- Asilidae (robber flies)
- Syrphidae (flower flies, hover flies)
- Muscidae (houseflies)
- Sarcophagidae (flesh flies)
- Calliphoridae (blow flies)
- Tachinidae (Tachinid flies)
- Drosophilidae
-
What group of insects belongs in the order Diptera, family Culcidae?
Mosquitoes
-
What family of the order Diptera contains these groups of species: Mosquitoes?
- Culcidae
- How many species of Culcidae have been described?
- 3,000 species
-
What characterizes mosquitoes that you don’t know already know about?
Larvae are air breathers, not aquatic
-
What group of insects belongs in the order Diptera, family Simuliidae?
Black flies
-
What family of the order Diptera contains these groups of species: Black Flies?
Simuliidae
-
What characterizes black flies?
Eggs are laid in running water, larvae attach to rocks, and females require blood for egg production. Black flies can transmit river blindness.
-
What group of insects belongs in the order Diptera, family Tipulidae?
Crane flies
-
What family of the order Diptera contains these groups of species: Crane flies?
Tipulidae
-
How many species of crane flies have been identified?
4,500 species
-
What is the largest family of Diptera?
Tipulidae (crane flies)
-
What characterizes crane flies?
They’re often mistaken for mosquitoes, but they’re non-biting, harmless, gentle, and poor fliers. Most larvae are aquatic to semi-aquatic, and some adults are pollinators.
-
What group of insects belongs in the order Diptera, family Ceratopogonidae?
No-see-ums, biting midges, and punkies
-
What family of the order Diptera contains these groups of species: no-see-ums, biting midges, punkies?
Ceratopogonidae
-
What characterizes species of the family Ceratopogonidae?
Females require blood, adults are tiny (1/8 inch long), larvae live in moist habitats, and adults also feed on the nectar of (and so are pollinators of) T. cacao (chocolate). They transmit the bluetongue virus to cattle and sheep.
-
What characterizes some of the more advanced flies?
They have sponge-like mouthparts that easily take in liquids, some are blood lapping. Larvae live in their food, or they are parasitoids. Have shorter antennae with fewer segments.
-
What group of insects belongs in the order Diptera, family Tabanidae?
Horse flies and deer flies
-
What family of the order Diptera contains these groups of species: horse flies and deer flies?
Tabanidae
-
What characterizes horse flies and deer flies?
They’re important pollinators and are noisy fliers.
-
What group of insects belongs in the order Diptera, family Asilidae?
Robber flies
-
What family of the order Diptera contains these groups of species: robber flies?
Asilidae
-
What characterizes robber flies?
Adults are predaceous, and some are batesian mimics of stinging bumble bees.
-
What is batesian mimicry?
A harmless/edible species morphologically resembles a species with warning colouration.
-
What group of insects belongs in the order Diptera, family Syrphidae?
Flower flies, hover flies
-
What family of the order Diptera contains these groups of species: hover flies and flower flies?
Syrphidae
-
What characterizes flower flies and hover flies?
They’re important pollinators, and often resemble stinging wasps (but are really Batesian mimics).
-
What group of insects belongs in the order Diptera, family Muscidae?
House flies
-
What family of the order Diptera contains these groups of species: house flies?
Muscidae
-
How many species in the Muscidae family have been described in North America?
700
-
What group of insects belongs in the order Diptera, family Sarcophagidae?
Flesh flies
-
What family of the order Diptera contains these groups of species: flesh flies?
Sarcophagidae
-
What characterizes flesh flies?
Adults are pollinators, and larvae are used in forensic science along with house flies from the family Muscidae.
-
What group of insects belongs in the order Diptera, family Calliphoridae?
Blow flies
-
What family of the order Diptera contains these groups of species: blow flies?
Calliphoridae
-
What characterizes blow flies?
Adults have a metallic colouration, and are important pollinators. Adults are very effective at finding rotting animal matter, and this species is used in forensic science along with Muscidae and Sarcophagidae species.
-
How does parasitoid differ from parasite and predator?
A parasitoid is like a parasite, but it eventually kills its host.
-
What group of insects belongs in the order Diptera, family Tachinidae?
Tachinid flies
-
What family of the order Diptera contains these groups of species: Tachinid flies?
Tachinidae
-
What characterizes Tachinids?
They’re often parasitoids of other insects, and adults are important pollinators.
-
What group of insects belongs in the order Diptera, family Drosophilidae?
Fruit flies
-
What family of the order Diptera contains these groups of species: fruit flies?
Drosophilidae
|
|
