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
Boreothrinax
Boreothrinax is a genus of flies in the family Pyrgotidae, established by Steyskal in 1978. The genus is currently considered a synonym of Pyrgota by some sources, though this status remains uncertain. It contains five described species distributed in North America.
Boreothrinax dichaetus
Boreothrinax dichaetus is a species of fly in the family Pyrgotidae, originally described by Steyskal in 1978. The species is currently treated as a synonym of Pyrgota dichaetus, reflecting taxonomic uncertainty or reclassification within the genus. Pyrgotidae are a family of parasitoid flies known for attacking scarab beetles. Records indicate no documented observations in citizen science databases, suggesting rarity or limited detection.
Boreothrinax maculipennis
Boreothrinax maculipennis is a species of fly in the family Pyrgotidae, a group commonly known as pyrgotid flies. Members of this family are typically parasitoids of other insects, particularly beetles. The genus Boreothrinax is part of the diverse assemblage of Diptera that have evolved specialized parasitic life histories.
Brachycara
Brachycara is a genus of soldier flies (family Stratiomyidae) established by Thomson in 1869. The genus contains eight described species distributed across multiple continents. Brachycara species are classified within the subfamily Nemotelinae. Observations of this genus remain relatively uncommon, with approximately 75 documented records on iNaturalist.
Brachydeutera
Brachydeutera is a genus of shore flies in the family Ephydridae, containing approximately 16 described species. Members of this genus are characterized by their association with aquatic or semi-aquatic habitats, where they occupy the hyponeustic zone—living just below the water surface. The genus was established by Loew in 1860 and has been documented across various regions with observations spanning multiple continents.
Brachydeutera argentata
shore fly, shorefly
Brachydeutera argentata is a species of shore fly in the family Ephydridae, first described by Francis Walker in 1853. The species is known from the United States, where it inhabits moist shoreline environments. Shore flies in this family are typically small, compact dipterans associated with wet or aquatic habitats. The specific epithet 'argentata' refers to a silvery appearance, likely describing some aspect of the adult coloration.
Brachydeutera neotropica
Brachydeutera neotropica is a species of shore fly in the family Ephydridae, described by Wirth in 1964. The genus Brachydeutera comprises small flies commonly found at the margins of aquatic habitats, where they feed on microbial films and organic matter at the water surface. The species epithet 'neotropica' indicates its occurrence in the Neotropical region. Like other members of its family, this species is associated with moist environments and plays a role in nutrient cycling at water-land interfaces.
Brachyopa notata
Black-banded Sapeater
Brachyopa notata is a rare species of syrphid fly (hoverfly) found in northeastern North America. Adults are flower-visiting insects that obtain nectar and pollen from flowers. The species is poorly documented, with only 25 observations recorded on iNaturalist. Larval development remains undescribed for this species, though related members of the genus Brachyopa possess rat-tailed larvae adapted to aquatic or semi-aquatic environments.
Brachypalpus
Brachypalpus is a genus of hoverflies (Syrphidae) in the subfamily Eristalinae. The genus contains multiple species, including at least one undescribed species awaiting formal taxonomic description. Species in this genus are typically associated with decaying wood and forest habitats. The undescribed status indicates ongoing taxonomic research is needed to fully characterize and name this particular lineage.
Braula coeca
bee louse, bee fly, braulid
Braula coeca is a tiny, wingless fly in the family Braulidae that lives as an ectoparasite or commensalist in colonies of the western honey bee, Apis mellifera. Adults attach to adult bees and feed by stealing food from the host's mouth during trophallaxis. The species possesses highly specialized attachment structures adapted to grip the bee's hairy surface, with claw morphology featuring comb-like teeth that match bee hair diameter. Host selection is mediated by detection of mandibular gland pheromones, particularly queen substance and worker substance, allowing the louse to target bees with higher trophallactic activity.
Breviperna placida
Breviperna placida is a species of stiletto fly in the family Therevidae, originally described by Coquillett in 1894 as Psilocephala placida. Stiletto flies are a diverse group of predatory flies, though specific biological details for this species remain poorly documented. The genus Breviperna is part of the therevid fauna of North America.
Bromleyus
Bromleyus is a genus of robber flies (family Asilidae) established by Hardy in 1944 or 1945. As a member of the diverse Asilidae family, species in this genus are predatory flies. The genus is recognized in major taxonomic databases but appears to be poorly known, with no species-level records in GBIF or observations in iNaturalist.
Bromleyus flavidorsus
Bromleyus flavidorsus is a species of robber fly in the family Asilidae, described by Hardy in 1945. The genus Bromleyus is endemic to Australia and contains relatively few described species. As with other Asilidae, this species is presumed to be a predatory fly, though specific ecological details remain undocumented in published literature. The species epithet 'flavidorsus' refers to a yellowish dorsal coloration.
Brontaea
Brontaea is a genus of muscid flies comprising approximately five described species. Species in this genus have been documented in association with bovine feces in pasture environments, where they serve as hosts for parasitoid wasps. The genus has recorded distribution in Europe (Denmark, Norway) and South America (Brazil).
Brontaea humilis
Brontaea humilis is a small muscid fly described by Zetterstedt in 1860. It belongs to the family Muscidae, which includes house flies and related species. The species has been recorded from Norway and Sweden. Very little is known about its biology or ecology, and it appears to be rarely encountered based on limited observation records.
Bryodemina valida
Bryodemina valida is a species of bee fly in the family Bombyliidae, first described by Wiedemann in 1830. It belongs to the subfamily Lomatiinae and tribe Lomatiini. The species has been documented through 51 observations on iNaturalist, indicating some level of contemporary detection, though detailed biological information remains limited in publicly available sources.
Bryophaenocladius
Bryophaenocladius is a genus of non-biting midges in the family Chironomidae, subfamily Orthocladiinae. The genus was established by Thienemann in 1934 and includes species distributed across Europe and Asia. Species have been described from Norway, Denmark, Sweden, India, and China. Recent taxonomic work has emended generic diagnoses based on newly discovered morphological characters in multiple life stages.
Bucephalina megacephala
Bucephalina megacephala is a species of dung fly in the family Scathophagidae, described by Loew in 1870. The genus name refers to the enlarged head structure characteristic of this group. As a member of Scathophagidae, it belongs to a family commonly known as dung flies or predatory dung flies, which are primarily associated with decaying organic matter. The specific epithet 'megacephala' (meaning 'large-headed') indicates a prominent morphological feature of this species.
Caenotus
Caenotus is a genus of small, slender flies in the family Scenopinidae, commonly known as window flies. These insects are part of the subfamily Caenotinae and are characterized by their reduced wing venation and elongated bodies. The genus was established by Cole in 1923 and contains species primarily found in arid and semi-arid regions.
Calamoncosis
frit flies
Calamoncosis is a genus of small flies in the family Chloropidae (frit flies), established by Enderlein in 1911. The genus contains species distributed across both Palearctic and Nearctic regions. Nearctic fauna includes at least five described species, with most specimens collected from peatlands and marshes in eastern North America. Some species have documented associations with wetland grasses including common reed (Phragmites australis).
Callicerini
Callicerini is a small tribe of hoverflies (family Syrphidae) within the subfamily Eristalinae. It contains two genera: Callicera and Notiocheilosia. Members of this tribe are characterized by distinctive morphological features, particularly in the antennae and facial structure. The tribe was established by Camillo Rondani in 1856.
Callinicus
Callinicus is a genus of robber flies (family Asilidae) established by Loew in 1872. The genus contains approximately five described species. Asilidae are predatory flies known for their robust build and aggressive hunting behavior.
Calliopum
Calliopum is a genus of small lauxaniid flies established by Strand in 1928. The genus comprises approximately 27 described species distributed across the Palearctic region. Adults are typically found in meadows and hedgerows, while larvae exhibit varied feeding habits including phytophagy and saprophagy.
Calliphora
bluebottle flies, blow flies, bottle flies
Calliphora is the type genus of the blow fly family Calliphoridae, established in 1830. Adults are recognized by their metallic blue abdomens and dull grey to black thoraxes. The genus is globally distributed with highest diversity in Australia. Several species, particularly C. vicina, C. vomitoria, and C. livida, are among the most important insects in forensic entomology due to their predictable colonization of carrion.
Calliphora coloradensis
Calliphora coloradensis is a species of blow fly in the family Calliphoridae, first described by Hough in 1899. The genus Calliphora includes species commonly known as blue bottle flies, though the specific common name for this species is not documented. As a member of the blow fly family, it likely shares the general ecological traits of active decomposition and forensic importance characteristic of the group, though species-specific details remain sparse.
Calliphora terraenovae
New World blue bottle fly
Calliphora terraenovae is a species of blow fly in the family Calliphoridae, commonly known as the New World blue bottle fly. It is native to North America and serves as an important decomposer in forensic entomology investigations. The species is closely related to other blue bottle flies in the genus Calliphora, including the widespread Palearctic species C. vicina, with which it shares ecological and morphological similarities.
Calliphora vomitoria
blue bottle fly, orange-bearded blue bottle, bottlebee
Calliphora vomitoria is a blow fly and the type species of the genus Calliphora. Adults are among the first colonizers of carrion, making them significant forensic indicators for estimating time of death. The species exhibits a distinctive metallic blue abdomen and orange setae on the gena. It has been extensively studied for its landing mechanics, with research on its inverted ceiling landings informing robotic drone design.
Calliphoridae
blow flies, blow-flies, carrion flies, bluebottles, greenbottles, cluster flies
Calliphoridae is a large family of Diptera containing approximately 1,900 described species with worldwide distribution. Adults are typically recognized by their metallic blue, green, or black coloration. The family exhibits diverse life histories including saprophagy, facultative parasitism, and obligatory myiasis. Larvae of most species develop in carrion and dung, making them ecologically important decomposers and forensically significant indicators of post-mortem intervals. Several species have substantial economic and medical importance: Lucilia cuprina causes flystrike in Australian sheep, Cochliomyia hominivorax was a major screwworm pest before eradication in North America, and Lucilia sericata is used in maggot debridement therapy for wound treatment.
Callomyia venusta
flat-footed fly
Callomyia venusta is a species of flat-footed fly in the family Platypezidae, first described by Snow in 1894. It belongs to a small family of flies characterized by their distinctive flattened tarsi. The species has been documented in the northeastern United States, with records from Vermont. Like other members of the genus Callomyia, it likely shares the family's typical morphology and ecological associations, though specific details about its biology remain poorly documented.
Calobatina
Calobatina is a genus of stilt-legged flies in the family Micropezidae, established by Enderlein in 1922. The genus contains at least two described species, including Calobatina geometra. These flies are characterized by their elongated, stilt-like legs and distinctive foreleg-waving behavior. The only species with documented natural history information, C. geometra, has been observed aggregating on standing dead white oak trunks in dry-mesic upland deciduous forest.
Calolydella lathami
bristle fly
Calolydella lathami is a species of bristle fly in the family Tachinidae, first described by Curran in 1925. It belongs to the subfamily Exoristinae and tribe Blondeliini. The species is known from North America, with confirmed records from Canada and the United States.
Caloparyphus crotchi
Caloparyphus crotchi is a species of soldier fly in the family Stratiomyidae, first described by Osten Sacken in 1877. The species belongs to the genus Caloparyphus within the tribe Oxycerini. It has been recorded in Canada and the United States. Available information on this species is limited, with only two observations documented on iNaturalist.
Caloparyphus crucigerus
Caloparyphus crucigerus is a species of soldier fly (family Stratiomyidae) described by Coquillett in 1902. It belongs to the tribe Oxycerini, a group of small to medium-sized flies often associated with wetland and riparian habitats. The species is rarely documented, with only two observations recorded on iNaturalist as of the knowledge cutoff. Like other members of its family, the larvae likely develop in moist or aquatic environments.
Calotarsa insignis
Calotarsa insignis is a species of flat-footed flies in the family Platypezidae, described by Aldrich in 1906. Members of this family are characterized by their distinctive flattened hind tarsi. The genus Calotarsa is part of the subfamily Platypezinae within this family of true flies.
Calotarsa pallipes
flat-footed fly
Calotarsa pallipes is a species of flat-footed fly in the family Platypezidae. It belongs to a small family of Diptera characterized by distinctive morphological features. The species was first described by Loew in 1866. Like other members of Platypezidae, it is likely associated with decaying organic matter, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Calycomyza
Calycomyza is a genus of leaf-mining flies in the family Agromyzidae, containing approximately 90 described species. Larvae feed internally within leaf tissue, creating distinctive serpentine or blotch mines. The genus has a broad geographic distribution spanning the Nearctic, Neotropical, Palearctic, Oriental, and Afrotropical regions. Several species have been documented as agricultural pests or biological control agents for invasive plants.
Calycomyza cynoglossi
Calycomyza cynoglossi is a leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae, a group known for larvae that tunnel through plant leaf tissue. The species was described in 1956 and is recorded from Indiana. Like congeners, it likely produces distinctive serpentine or blotchy mines on host plant foliage, though specific host associations remain poorly documented.
Calycomyza humeralis
aster leafminer
Calycomyza humeralis, commonly known as the aster leafminer, is a species of leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae. The species was first described by Roser in 1840. It is known for its larval habit of creating distinctive mines in the leaves of host plants, particularly those in the Asteraceae family. The species has a broad global distribution, having been recorded across multiple continents including Europe, North America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania.
Calycomyza ipomaeae
Calycomyza ipomaeae is a small fly species in the family Agromyzidae, a group known as leaf-miner flies. The species was described by Frost in 1931. It has been recorded across the Americas from Canada to Brazil, including the West Indies. Like other members of its genus, it likely develops as a leaf miner on host plants.
Calycomyza novascotiensis
Calycomyza novascotiensis is a species of leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae, described by Spencer in 1969. The specific epithet refers to Nova Scotia, suggesting a type locality or geographic association with that region. As a member of Calycomyza, it belongs to a genus whose larvae are known to create distinctive serpentine or blotch mines in leaves. The species has been documented in northeastern North America.
Calycomyza promissa
Calycomyza promissa is a leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae. The larvae develop within leaves of various aster species (Symphyotrichum), creating distinctive feeding tunnels. It occurs in Canada and the United States.
Calycomyza smallanthi
Calycomyza smallanthi is a species of leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae, described in 2019. It is associated with plants in the genus Smallanthus, likely forming leaf mines on the foliage of its host plants. As a recently described species, detailed biological information remains limited. The genus Calycomyza contains numerous species that are specialists on particular host plants, primarily in the Asteraceae family.
Calyxochaetus frontalis
Calyxochaetus frontalis is a species of long-legged fly in the family Dolichopodidae, subfamily Sympycninae. Originally described by Loew in 1861, it belongs to the C. frontalis species group within the genus. A lectotype was designated for this species during a comprehensive 2021 revision that recognized 36 species in the genus and established five species groups. The species is known from the Nearctic region.
Camillidae
Camillidae is a small family of minute flies (2–3.5 mm) within the superfamily Ephydroidea. The family contains five genera, four extant and one fossil. Adults are slender, lustrous black flies with hyaline wings and distinctive bristle patterns on the head and thorax. Larval biology is poorly known, though they have been reared from bat guano and rock hyrax dung, suggesting a role in decomposing organic matter in sheltered environments.
Campiglossa clathrata
Campiglossa clathrata is a species of fruit fly in the family Tephritidae, first described by Loew in 1862 under the basionym Trypeta clathrata. The species belongs to the large genus Campiglossa, which comprises numerous tephritid species distributed across various regions. Like other members of its family, this species is characterized by distinctive wing patterning. Available information on this species is limited, with only one documented observation in iNaturalist and minimal published biological data.
Campiglossa genalis
Campiglossa genalis is a species of fruit fly in the family Tephritidae, originally described as Trypeta genalis by Thomson in 1869. It belongs to the large genus Campiglossa, which comprises numerous species of small to medium-sized tephritid flies. Very few observations of this species have been documented, with only two records in iNaturalist as of the knowledge cutoff.
Campiglossa jamesi
Campiglossa jamesi is a species of fruit fly in the family Tephritidae, first described by Novák in 1974. It belongs to the genus Campiglossa, a group of tephritid flies commonly known as gall flies or fruit flies. The species is known to occur in Canada and the United States.
Campiglossa murina
Campiglossa murina is a species of fruit fly in the family Tephritidae, first described by Doane in 1899. It is distributed across western North America from Alaska and Yukon south to California and New Mexico. The species belongs to a genus of true fruit flies that are often associated with plants in the Asteraceae family.
Campsicnemus hirtipes
Campsicnemus hirtipes is a species of long-legged fly in the family Dolichopodidae. It was described by Loew in 1861. The genus Campsicnemus belongs to the subfamily Sympycninae within Dolichopodidae, a family known for species with notably elongated legs and predatory habits.
Camptoprosopella
Camptoprosopella is a genus of true flies in the family Lauxaniidae, established by Hendel in 1907. The genus contains over 30 described species distributed primarily in the Americas, with records ranging from North America through Central America to South America. Species in this genus are small to medium-sized flies, many of which were described by Canadian dipterist G.E. Shewell in 1939.