Order-Diptera

Order-Diptera

Order: Diptera
(dis – two & pteron = wing)
E.g. True flies (two winged insects)
Viz. Mosquitoes, Housefly, Horse fly, Fruit fly, Stem fly, Pod fly, Midges etc.

Economic Importance:

Consider number of flies is predaceous, some are blood suckers, some are well known human diseases transmitting agents and some are saprophagous. Fruit flies, leaf miners, Stem fly and Root maggots are crop pests.

Characters:

1. Insects with single pair of membranous wings, hind pair of wings modified into halters.
2. Mouth parts suctorial, usually forming a proboscis and some times adapted for piercing.
3. Mandibles rarely present, labium usually distally expanded into a pair of fleshy lobes.
4. Prothorax and metathorax small and fused with the large mesothorax.
5. Tarsi commonly 5 segmented.
6. Larva Eruciform / apodous.
7. Pupa either free adecticous obtect / exarate or enclosed in the hardened larval cuticle (Puparium).
8. Metamorphosis complete.
Order Diptera has been classified into three sub-orders.
viz. Nematocera, Brachycera and Cyclorrhapha.

Comparative Characters of these Sub-orders are as Follows:–

Important Families:

Sub-order: Nematocera

i. Cecidomyiidae e.g. Paddy gall fly, Sesamum gall fly.
ii. Culicidae     e.g. Mosquitoes.
iii. Chironomidae e.g. Midge fly (midges).

Sub-order: Brachycera

i. Tabanidae e.g. Horse flies.
ii. Asilidae e.g. Robber flies etc.
iii. Bombyliidae e.g. Bee fly.

Sub-order: Cyclorrhapha

i. Tephritidae (Trypetidae)      e.g. Fruit fly.
ii. Agromyzidae                      e.g. Tur pod fly, Pea stem fly.
iii. Tachnidae                           e.g. Tachinid fly.
iv. Anthomyiidae                    e.g. Jowar stem fly.
v. Micropisidae                       e.g. Rhizome fly.