23

1. University of Sulaimania
School of Science
Department of Biology
2nd Class Year
23r d La b.
Pterygotes - Neopteran Insects:
Order Diptera
Lecturer: Farhad A. Khudhur

2. Objectives:
- This lecture gives knowledge about the medically and
ecologically important insect group (order Diptera),
Mosquitoes and flies. Their classifications and
identification keys.
- Focusing on the most common and important families
of dipteran insects.
Scientific content:
Order Diptera
- General descriptions
- Classification:
Suborder: Nematocera
Suborder: Brachycera

3. Suborders Nematocera and Brachycera
• In nematocerous families, the antennae are
usually composed of many segments and are
filiform, plumose, or pectinate
• whereas brachycerous flies typically have the
first flagellomere enlarged and the remaining
flagellomeres stylate or aristate
• The mouthparts of adult flies are vestigial or well
developed of two general types:
– (1) piercing and sucking, as seen in simuliids, culicids,
and asilids, and
– (2) lapping and sucking (Sponging), as seen in
tipulids and most brachycerous groups.
• Pupa: Most brachyceran have puparim
(Coactate), while nematocerance have different
forms of pupae (some groups have obtect pupa
or coma shape pupa).

4. Dipterans Larvae
• Larval Diptera are legless (apodous) and found in
a variety of terrestrial and aquatic habitats.
• Most larvae are free-living and crawl or swim
actively in:
– water (e.g., Simuliidae, Culicidae, Chironomidae)
– sediments (e.g.,Tipulidae, Psychodidae, Tabanidae),
– wood (e.g., Tipulidae),
– fruit (e.g., Drosophilidae),
– decaying organic material (Muscidae, Sarcophagidae).
• Other larvae inhabit the tissues of living organisms
(e.g., Oestridae).

5. Suborder: Nemtocera
• Family: TIPULIDAE (Crane flies)
• Family: SIMULIIDAE (Black flies)
• Family: CHIRONOMIDAE (Midges)
• Family: CULICIDAE (mosquitoes)
– Anopheles sp.,
– Culex pipiens ,
– Aedes aegypti (Yellow fever mosquito)
• Family: PSYCHODIDAE
- Phlebotomus papatasi (sand fly)

6. Family: Tipulidae (crane flies)

7. Family: Simuliidae (black flies)

8. Family: Chironomidae (Midges)

9. Culex pipiens ,Larvae

10. Anophels. spp
Larva & Pupa

11. Anophels. spp
Adult-female

12. Culex
Anopheles

13. Phlebotomus papatasi ((sand fly

14. Suborder: Brachycera
• Family: TABANIDAE Tabanus sp. (horse fly)
• Family: MUSCIDAE Musca domestica (House
flies)
• Family: SARCOPHAGIDAE (Fleshfly)
• Family: CALLIPHORIDAE (Blowfly)
• Family: OESTRIDAE Dermatobia hominis
• Family: GLOSSINIDAE Glossina palpalis
• Family: DROSOPHILIDAE
Drosophila melanogaster (fruit flies)

15. Family: TABANIDAE Tabanus sp. (horsefly)

16. Family: MUSCIDAE Musca domestica (House flies)

17. Sarcophagidae
(Flesh fly)

18. Family: CALLIPHORIDAE
(Blowfly)

19. Family: GLOSSINIDAE
Glossina palpalis
Tsetse fly

20. Family: OESTRIDAE
Dermatobia hominis
(Human Bot fly)

21. Family: DROSOPHILIDAE
Drosophila melanogaster((fruit flies

22. References:
• David, B. V. and Ananthakrishnan, T. N. (2004). General
and Applied Entomology. 2nd ed. Tata McGraw-hill
Publishing Co. Ltd. New Delhi. India. 1184 p.
• Elzinga, Richard J. (1997). Fundamentals of Entomology.
4th ed. New Jersey, Prentice-Hall, Inc. 475 pp.
• Gillot, Cedric. (2005). Entomology. 3rd ed. Springer,
Dordrecht. The Netherlands. 831 pp.
• Grzimek’s Animal Life Encyclopedia, 2nd edition. Volume
3, Insects, edited by Michael Hutchins, Arthur V. Evans,
Rosser W. Garrison.
• Markle, Sandra. (2008). Mosquitoes: tiny insect
troublemakers. Minneapolis, USA. Lerner Publications
Company. 48 p.
• Resh, Vincent H. & Cardé, Ring T. (2003). Encyclopedia of
Insects. USA. Academic Press, Elsevier Science, 1266 pp.