Do mosquitoes have any redeeming qualities? What stops us from completely eradicating them from off the face of the earth? What good are mosquitoes?
Diptera
- David Bradt shares his experiences as an entomologist in the US Army.
- Spencer Doepel of Ecoflys talks about the black soldier fly, its life cycle, and how to rear it.
Guides
Leptomorphus nebulosus
fungus gnat
Leptomorphus nebulosus is a species of fungus gnat in the family Mycetophilidae, first described by Walker in 1848. The species occurs in North America, with records from both Canada and the United States. Like other members of its family, it is associated with fungal habitats. The genus Leptomorphus belongs to the subfamily Sciophilinae within the diverse fungus gnat family.
Leptomydinae
Mydas flies
Leptomydinae is a subfamily of mydas flies (family Mydidae) containing at least 6 genera and more than 50 described species. Members are primarily distributed in the Northern Hemisphere. The subfamily includes the genera Eremomidas, Hessemydas, Leptomydas, Nemomydas, Plyomydas, and Pseudonomoneura. Leptomydas, the type genus, was established by Gerstaecker in 1868.
Leptopa
Leptopa is a genus of scathophagid flies (Diptera: Scathophagidae) established by Zetterstedt in 1838. The genus was recently resurrected as a senior synonym of Parallelomma (Ozerov & Krivosheina, 2023). It occurs primarily in the Palearctic region, with documented species from Japan, Korea, and northern Europe including Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. At least four species are recognized from Japan, including two recently described species: L. kanmiyai and L. yezonica. The genus belongs to the subfamily Delininae within the dung fly family Scathophagidae.
Leptopteromyia
Leptopteromyia is a genus of robber flies (family Asilidae) established by Williston in 1907. The genus contains seven described species distributed across the Americas, from the United States to South America. These predatory flies are part of the diverse Asilidae family, known for their aggressive hunting behavior. Species within this genus were described primarily by Hardy (1947) and Martin (1971).
Leptopteromyia americana
Leptopteromyia americana is a species of robber fly in the family Asilidae, described by Hardy in 1947. As a member of the predatory Asilidae, it likely exhibits the characteristic hunting behavior of the family, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented. The species is known from 119 iNaturalist observations, indicating it has been encountered with some regularity by naturalists, though published research on its biology is sparse.
Leptotarsus
Leptotarsus is a genus of true crane flies (Tipulidae) established by Guerin-Meneville in 1831. The genus is taxonomically complex, containing numerous subgenera (including Aldrovandia, Araucomyia, Aurotipula, Chlorotipula, Habromastix, Leptotipula, Longurio, Macromastix, Maoritipula, Pehlkea, Phymatopsis, Tanypremna, and others) that reflect morphological diversity across multiple biogeographic regions. Species are distributed across the Southern Hemisphere, with significant representation in Australia, New Zealand, South America, and various Pacific and Atlantic islands. The genus is characterized by elongated body proportions typical of crane flies, with substantial variation in size, coloration, and leg morphology among constituent species.
Leschenaultia exul
Leschenaultia exul is a tachinid fly that parasitizes tent caterpillars, particularly the forest tent caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria) and eastern tent caterpillar (Malacosoma americana). Females locate hosts using olfactory cues from larval aggregation pheromones and frass volatiles, combined with visual cues such as silk trails and larval aggregations. The species deposits macrotype eggs directly onto host larvae and is considered an important biological control agent of forest tent caterpillar populations in North America.
Leschenaultia reinhardi
Leschenaultia reinhardi is a tachinid fly described in 2002 by Toma and Guimarães. It belongs to the tribe Goniini within the subfamily Exoristinae. The species is known from North America. As a member of the Tachinidae family, it is a parasitoid fly, though specific host associations for this species have not been documented in the available literature.
Leskia
Leskia is a genus of tachinid flies established by Robineau-Desvoidy in 1830. The genus contains approximately 40 described species distributed across multiple continents. As members of the tribe Leskiini, these flies are parasitoids, though specific host associations remain poorly documented for most species. The genus exhibits considerable diversity in the Afrotropical region, with multiple species described by Emden in 1960.
Lespesia samiae
Lespesia samiae is a species of tachinid fly in the family Tachinidae. It belongs to the genus Lespesia, which includes parasitoid flies that attack lepidopteran caterpillars. The species was described by Webber in 1930 and is known to occur in North America. Like other members of its genus, it likely functions as an internal parasitoid of moth or butterfly larvae, though specific host records for this species are not well documented in the provided sources.
Leucophora obtusa
satellite fly
Leucophora obtusa is a satellite fly in the family Anthomyiidae that parasitizes the larvae of Andrena bees. The species is found across Japan, Europe, and North America. It is notoriously difficult to distinguish from other Leucophora species and is characterized by being particularly hairy. The common name "satellite fly" refers to the female's behavior of hovering or "orbiting" around bee nests.
Leucotabanus
White Horse Flies
Leucotabanus is a genus of horse flies (family Tabanidae) established by Lutz in 1913. The genus comprises approximately 16 described species distributed primarily in the Neotropical region, with particular diversity in the Amazon basin. Members are commonly referred to as White Horse Flies. Species-level taxonomy has been revised in recent decades, with several species described by Fairchild in the mid-20th century and a new species, L. fairchildi, described in 2019.
Leucotabanus annulatus
Leucotabanus annulatus is a species of horse fly in the family Tabanidae. It belongs to the tribe Diachlorini within the subfamily Tabaninae. The species was described by Thomas Say in 1823. It is found in the United States, though specific details about its biology and ecology remain poorly documented in available sources.
Leucozona velutina
Western Hoary
Leucozona velutina is a species of hoverfly (family Syrphidae) in the order Diptera. The species was described by Williston in 1882. Like other syrphid flies, adults are likely pollinators that visit flowers for nectar and pollen. The genus Leucozona includes species that are often associated with woodland and forest edge habitats.
Liancalus hydrophilus
Liancalus hydrophilus is a species of long-legged fly in the family Dolichopodidae, described by Aldrich in 1893. It belongs to a genus whose members are associated with aquatic and semi-aquatic habitats. Like other dolichopodids, adults are predatory on small insects. The species epithet 'hydrophilus' (water-loving) reflects its affinity for moist environments. Very few observations of this species have been documented.
Ligyra
Ligyra is a genus of bee flies (Diptera: Bombyliidae) in the tribe Exoprosopini, established by Edward Newman in 1841. The genus contains at least 110 described species with cosmopolitan distribution, though recent cladistic analysis has restricted its scope by erecting a new genus for New World species previously assigned to Ligyra. Species in this genus are hyperparasitoids, attacking ground-nesting aculeate Hymenoptera including Sphecidae, Pompilidae, Tiphiidae, and Scoliidae.
Ligyra gazophylax
Ligyra gazophylax is a species of bee fly in the family Bombyliidae, originally described by Loew in 1869. The species has been reclassified under the genus Nyia in some taxonomic treatments, reflecting ongoing revision within the family. Bee flies in this group are characterized by their parasitoid life history and distinctive adult morphology.
Limnellia
Limnellia is a genus of shore flies in the family Ephydridae, established by Malloch in 1925. These small dipterans are associated with aquatic or semi-aquatic environments. The genus has been recorded from northern European countries including Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. As with other ephydrid flies, species in this genus likely develop in moist habitats with organic matter.
Limnellia anna
shore fly
Limnellia anna is a species of shore fly in the family Ephydridae, first described by Cresson in 1935. It belongs to a family commonly associated with aquatic and semi-aquatic habitats. The species has been recorded in Canada and the United States, though detailed ecological and behavioral information remains limited.
Limnellia balioptera
A species of shore fly in the family Ephydridae, described by Wayne Mathis in 1978. Like other members of the genus Limnellia, it is associated with aquatic or semi-aquatic habitats. The species name 'balioptera' refers to the distinctive wing markings.
Limnia boscii
marsh fly
Limnia boscii is a species of marsh fly in the family Sciomyzidae, first described by Robineau-Desvoidy in 1830. The genus Limnia belongs to the tribe Tetanocerini within the subfamily Sciomyzinae. Marsh flies in this family are generally associated with wetland and marsh habitats, though specific ecological details for this species remain limited in available sources.
Limnia conica
Limnia conica is a species of marsh fly in the family Sciomyzidae, first described by Steyskal in 1978. Marsh flies in this family are generally associated with wetland and aquatic habitats. The species is recorded from the northeastern United States, particularly Vermont.
Limnia loewi
Limnia loewi is a species of marsh fly in the family Sciomyzidae, described by Steyskal in 1965. Members of this genus are small to medium-sized flies associated with wetland and aquatic habitats. The species epithet honors the German dipterist Hermann Loew. As with other Sciomyzidae, larvae are likely predaceous on freshwater snails, though specific details for this species remain undocumented.
Limnia shannoni
Limnia shannoni is a species of marsh fly in the family Sciomyzidae, first described by Cresson in 1920. It belongs to the tribe Tetanocerini within the subfamily Sciomyzinae. The species is part of a taxonomically challenging group within the genus Limnia. Limited information is available regarding its biology and ecology.
Limnia sparsa
marsh fly
Limnia sparsa is a species of marsh fly in the family Sciomyzidae, described by Loew in 1862. It belongs to the tribe Tetanocerini within the subfamily Sciomyzinae. As a member of Sciomyzidae, it is part of a family commonly known as marsh flies or snail-killing flies, though specific biological details for this species remain poorly documented.
Limonia communis
Limonia communis is a species of limoniid crane fly in the family Limoniidae. It is currently recognized as a synonym of Geranomyia communis. The species has been recorded across North America from Alaska and British Columbia east to Newfoundland, and south to California, Louisiana, and Florida. As a member of the Limoniidae, it belongs to a diverse group of crane flies commonly found in moist terrestrial and semi-aquatic habitats.
Limonia duplicata
Limonia duplicata is a species of limoniid crane fly originally described by Doane in 1900. The species is currently treated as a synonym of Rhipidia maculata. It has been recorded across a broad geographic range spanning the Nearctic, West Palearctic, and East Palearctic regions, including North America from Alaska to California and Tennessee, much of Europe, and eastward through Russia, Central Asia, East Asia, and China.
Limonia indigena
Limonia indigena is a species of limoniid crane fly described by Osten Sacken in 1860. It is recognized as the type species of the genus Limonia. Three subspecies have been described: L. i. indigena, L. i. jacksoni, and L. i. loloensis.
Limonia liberta
Limonia liberta is a species of limoniid crane fly originally described by Osten Sacken in 1859. The species is currently classified as a synonym of Dicranomyia liberta. It belongs to the family Limoniidae, a large group of crane flies distinguished from the more familiar Tipulidae by their reduced wing venation and other morphological features. The species has been recorded across a broad transcontinental range spanning North America and Eurasia.
Limonia maculata
Limonia maculata is a species of crane fly in the family Limoniidae, originally described by Meigen in 1804. The species is currently treated as a synonym of Eloeophila maculata (Meigen, 1804), having been reassigned to the genus Idioptera and subsequently to Eloeophila. It belongs to the subfamily Limnophilinae, a group of crane flies often associated with aquatic or semi-aquatic habitats. The species has been recorded from Belgium and Denmark based on GBIF distribution data.
Limonia rostrata
Limonia rostrata is a species of limoniid crane fly in the family Limoniidae. It is currently treated as a synonym of Geranomyia rostrata by some taxonomic authorities. The species was described by Thomas Say in 1823. Like other limoniid crane flies, it belongs to a diverse group of delicate, long-legged flies often found in moist habitats.
Limoniidae
Limoniid Crane Flies, Limoniidae, Short-palped Crane Flies
Limoniidae is the largest family of crane flies, comprising over 10,700 species in more than 150 genera. Members are distinguished from other crane flies primarily by their wing posture at rest: wings are typically held folded along the body rather than perpendicular to it. The family includes notable wingless snow flies in the genus Chionea, which are active in winter. Limoniids are generally smaller than other crane flies and occupy diverse habitats worldwide. Recent phylogenetic studies indicate the family is paraphyletic, with some limoniids more closely related to Tipulidae and Cylindrotomidae than to other limoniids.
Limosininae
Limosininae is a subfamily of lesser dung flies (Sphaeroceridae) within the order Diptera. The subfamily comprises numerous genera distributed across the New World and Pacific regions, with many species associated with decaying organic matter and specialized microhabitats. Several genera have been described or revised in recent taxonomic work, including Aptilotella, Phthitia, Albistyla, Helicosina, Stipulosina, and Bregmosina. Species within this subfamily exhibit diverse morphological adaptations, with some showing strong associations with specific plant substrates such as bamboo stipules, furled Heliconia leaves, and treefall habitats rich in green leaf litter.
Liriomyza
Liriomyza leaf-mining flies
Liriomyza is a genus of leaf-mining flies in the family Agromyzidae comprising at least 410 described species. The genus is distributed worldwide with particularly notable diversity in the Neotropical region. Larvae feed internally within plant leaves, creating distinctive serpentine or blotch mines that impair photosynthesis. Several species are significant agricultural pests, including the pea leafminer (L. huidobrensis) and vegetable leafminer (L. sativae), which have become invasive in multiple continents. The genus exhibits considerable variation in host plant specificity, with some species highly polyphagous and others restricted to particular plant families.
Liriomyza archboldi
Liriomyza archboldi is a species of leafminer fly in the family Agromyzidae, first described by Frost in 1962. The genus Liriomyza includes numerous leafminer species, some of which are significant agricultural pests. However, specific biological and ecological information for L. archboldi is not well documented in the available literature. The species is distinguished from congeners by morphological features typical of the genus.
Liriomyza arctii
Burdock Leafminer
A small leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae, described by Spencer in 1969. The species is known by the common name Burdock Leafminer and has been recorded from Vermont and other parts of the United States. Like other members of the genus Liriomyza, it is presumed to feed on plant tissues as larvae, creating characteristic mines within leaves.
Liriomyza asclepiadis
Liriomyza asclepiadis is a species of leafminer fly in the family Agromyzidae, described by Spencer in 1969. As a member of the genus Liriomyza, it belongs to a group of flies whose larvae create characteristic feeding tunnels (mines) within leaf tissue. The species epithet "asclepiadis" suggests an association with plants in the family Apocynaceae (milkweeds), though specific host records remain limited. It is known from northeastern North America.
Liriomyza avicenniae
Liriomyza avicenniae is a leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae, described from material associated with Avicennia (mangrove) hosts. The species epithet reflects this host association. As with other Liriomyza species, the larvae likely produce serpentine or blotch mines within leaf tissue. The species was described in 2002 and appears to have a restricted distribution tied to mangrove ecosystems.
Liriomyza baptisiae
Liriomyza baptisiae is a species of leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae, first described by Frost in 1931. It is native to the United States. Like other members of the genus Liriomyza, the larvae likely feed within leaf tissue, creating characteristic mines. The specific epithet "baptisiae" suggests a possible association with plants in the genus Baptisia (Fabaceae), though this host relationship requires confirmation.
Liriomyza blechi
Liriomyza blechi is a leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae, first described by Spencer in 1973. The species belongs to a group of 27 closely related taxa primarily distributed in the Neotropics, with some extending into temperate North and South America. It is a polyphagous pest known from diverse host plants including maize, various grasses, and dicots in the order Lamiales. Larvae create whitish linear mines in leaves, reducing photosynthetic capacity. The species has been recorded from the United States, Caribbean islands, and Brazil, with expanding documentation of its agricultural impact.
Liriomyza brassicae
Cabbage leafminer, Serpentine leaf miner
Liriomyza brassicae is a leaf-mining agromyzid fly whose larvae create serpentine mines within the leaves of host plants. The species is a documented pest of brassicaceous crops including cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and Chinese broccoli. It has been recorded from South Florida and other regions of the United States including Vermont, Hawaii, and the conterminous 48 states.
Liriomyza carphephori
Liriomyza carphephori is a species of leafminer fly in the family Agromyzidae, described by Eiseman, Lonsdale & Feldman in 2019. As a member of the genus Liriomyza, it belongs to a group known for larvae that tunnel between leaf surfaces, creating distinctive mines. The species was described relatively recently and specific details about its biology remain limited.
Liriomyza cracentis
Liriomyza cracentis is a species of leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae, described by Lonsdale in 2017. The genus Liriomyza contains numerous economically important leafminer species that damage agricultural crops by creating tunnels in leaf tissue. As a relatively recently described species, detailed biological information for L. cracentis remains limited. The species has been recorded from Vermont, United States.
Liriomyza eupatorii
Liriomyza eupatorii is a leafminer fly in the family Agromyzidae, described by Johann Heinrich Kaltenbach in 1874. The species occurs in Europe and is known for its larvae creating mines in leaves of plants in the Asteraceae and Lamiaceae families. Host plants include hemp-agrimony (Eupatorium cannabinum), various hemp-nettles (Galeopsis species), sunflowers (Helianthus), and European goldenrod (Solidago virgaurea), among others.
Liriomyza euphorbiella
Liriomyza euphorbiella is a species of leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae, described by Eiseman and Lonsdale in 2019. The specific epithet suggests an association with plants in the genus Euphorbia. As a member of the genus Liriomyza, it belongs to a group of flies whose larvae create distinctive mines within leaf tissue. The species is recognized as valid and accepted in taxonomic databases.
Liriomyza fricki
Liriomyza fricki is a species of leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae, described by Spencer in 1965. It is a member of a genus containing numerous economically significant agricultural pests, though specific information about this particular species is limited. The species is recorded from the United States, with distribution records from Vermont. Like other Liriomyza species, it likely has a life cycle involving larval mining of leaf tissue, but species-specific biological details have not been documented in available sources.
Liriomyza galiivora
Liriomyza galiivora is a species of leafminer fly in the family Agromyzidae, described by Spencer in 1969. As a member of the genus Liriomyza, it shares the characteristic larval behavior of mining within leaf tissue between the upper and lower epidermis. The specific epithet "galiivora" suggests an association with Galium (bedstraw) as a host plant, though detailed biological studies remain limited. The species has been recorded in Sweden and Vermont, USA, indicating a Holarctic distribution pattern.
Liriomyza garryae
Liriomyza garryae is a species of leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae, described by Eiseman and Lonsdale in 2019. The species epithet 'garryae' suggests an association with plants of the genus Garrya. Like other members of the genus Liriomyza, this species likely produces larvae that feed within leaf tissue, creating distinctive mines. The species is currently known from limited records, with 9 observations documented on iNaturalist.
Liriomyza hypopolymnia
Liriomyza hypopolymnia is a leafminer fly species in the family Agromyzidae, described by Eiseman and Lonsdale in 2021. It belongs to a genus containing numerous economically important leafminer pests, though specific information about this particular species remains limited. The genus Liriomyza is characterized by larvae that feed between leaf surfaces, creating visible mines that impair plant photosynthesis.
Liriomyza ivorcutleri
Liriomyza ivorcutleri is a species of leafminer fly in the family Agromyzidae, described by Eiseman and Lonsdale in 2018. The species is part of the diverse Liriomyza genus, which includes numerous leafmining species, many of which are significant agricultural pests. Like other members of its genus, L. ivorcutleri likely has larvae that feed internally within leaf tissue, creating characteristic mines. The specific epithet honors Ivor Cutler.