FILE: <diptera.key.htm> [Navigate
to MAIN MENU]
[For teaching purposes only; do not review, quote or abstract]
DIPTERA
(Fr. Schlinger & Doutt, 1964)
There are about 40 our of 126 families
of flies that contain entomophagous species and are listed
in the following key form.
Several other families contain entomophagous species but in
comparatively
low numbers. Three general
types of dipterous wing venation are noted in Fig. 34 of Schlinger & Doutt
(1964), which are used in the key to following families; Curran
(1934) and above mentioned references
were also consulted:
Keys to Adults of Important Families of Entomophagous Diptera:
[Please refer to <Guide> for illustrations (Powerful connections use <Guide-2>)]
1a. Antennae usually longer than thorax;
flagellum consisting of 6-39 similar free segments in addition to the 2
basal segments; anal cell
usually open; palpi elongate and usually comprising 4-5 segments; body usually
aseptate
................................................................................................................(Suborder
Nematocera)....2
1b. Antennae shorter than thorax, usually with 3
segments, but terminal segment may be distinctly ring-like, or
bearing a distinct style or arista; anal cell distinctly narrowed
or closed, or absent; palpi short, usually with
1-2 segments, body often with setae, bristles or spines ........................................(Suborder
Brachycera)....9
2a. Wings without network of fine folds or
creases.....................................................................................................3
2b. Wings with network of fine folds or
creases.................................................................................Blephariceridae
3a. Costa extends around entire wing,
occasionally weakened
behind........................................................................4
3b. Costa extends to or nearly to wing
tip....................................................................................................................6
4a. Mesonotal suture transverse (= at right
angles to longitudinal axis), not V-shaped...............................................5
4b. Mesonotum with an entire, V-shaped
suture............................................................................................Tipulidae
5a. Ocelli present and/or wing venation quite
reduced..........................................................................Cecidomyiidae
5b. Ocelli absent; wing venation
strong..........................................................................................................Culicidae
6a. Ocelli present..........................................................................................................................................................7
6b. Ocelli
absent...........................................................................................................................................................8
7a. Antennae inserted below compound eyes close
to oral margin.............................................................Bibionidae
7b. Antennae inserted at middle of head, well
above oral margin.......................................................Mycetophilidae
8a. Mesonotum short, without longitudinal
groove..........................................................................Ceratopogonidae
8b. Mesonotum long, with median longitudinal
groove........................................................................Chironomidae
9a. Empodium pulvilliform, the three pads nearly
equal...........................................................................................10
9b. Empodium hair-like or
absent..............................................................................................................................14
10a. 3rd antennal segment compound,
ring-like........................................................................................................11
10b. 3rd antennal segment simple, often bearing
an elongated style or
arista...........................................................12
11a. Squamae large and conspicuous...........................................................................................................Tabanidae
11b. Squamae small or
vestigial............................................................................................................Stratiomyiidae
12a. Squamae small or
vestigial.................................................................................................................................13
12b. Squamae very large, covering
halters................................................................................................Acroceridae
13a. Tibiae without spurs; wing venation
intricate................................................................................Nemestrinidae
13b. Middle tibiae with spurs; wing venation
normal...............................................................................Rhagionidae
14a. Wing with 2 or more submarginal cells; anal
cell distinctly longer than second basal cell ..............................15
14b. Wing with 1 or no submarginal cells; anal
cell
shorter......................................................................................21
15a. Front hollowed between
eyes.............................................................................................................................16
15b. Front not hollowed between
eyes.......................................................................................................................17
16a. Three ocelli; palpi usually prominent; proboscis
adapted for piercing.....................................................Asilidae
16b. One ocellus; palpi vestigial; proboscis with
fleshy
tip..........................................................................Mydaidae
17a. Costa continuing around the
wing......................................................................................................................18
17b. Costa reaching only to apex of
wing................................................................................................Scenopinidae
18a. Wing with 5 posterior
cells................................................................................................................................19
18b. Wing with at most 4 posterior cells...................................................................................................................20
19a. 4th vein ending beyond apex of
wing.................................................................................................Therevidae
19b. 4th vein ending before apex of
wing.................................................................................................Apioceridae
20a. 6th vein does not reach wing margin; body
usually rather apilose......................................................Empididae
20b. 6th vein reaching wing margin; body often
extremely pilose...........................................................Bombyliidae
21a. Wing normal, not rounded apically; wing
venation normal..............................................................................22
21b. Wing rounded apically; veins strong
anteriorly.....................................................................................Phoridae
22a. Spurious vein absent; anal cell short, ends
much before margin of
wing.........................................................23
22b. Spurious vein present, anal cell closed
close to wing margin.............................................................Syrphidae
23a. Frontal lunule entirely
absent...........................................................................................................................24
23b. Frontal lunule
present.....................................................................................................................................25
24a. Head very large, hemispherical; front and
face very narrow........................................................Pipunculidae
24b. Head not unusually large; front and face
usually wide.............................................................Dolichopodidae
25a. Coxae close together at
base...........................................................................................................................26
25b. Coxae widely separated at
base..........................................................................................................Braulidae
26a. 2nd antennal segment with a longitudinal
seam along upper outer edge which extends to the base (Calyptratae)
...................................................................................................................................................................27
26b. 2nd antennal segment without such a seam
(Acalyptratae).............................................................................31
27a. Hypopleurae and pteropleurae with 1 or more
vertical rows of hairs or bristles.............................................28
27b. Hypopleurae without a vertical series of
strong bristles below spiracle, or if present then there is no row of
bristles on
pteropleura................................................................................................................................30
28a. Postscutellum little developed, not convexly
prominent.................................................................................29
28b. Postscutellum strongly developed in the form
of a transverse rounded ridge often projecting as far as apex of
scutellum.....................................................................................................................................Tachinidae
29a. Propleura and prosternum usually hairy;
generally 2 notopleural bristles; arista usually long-plumose
................................................................................................................................................Calliphoridae
29b. Propleura and prosternum bare; generally
with 4 notopleural bristles; arista bare or hairy on basal half
..............................................................................................................................................Sarcophagidae
30a. Scutellar suture complete; 4th vein often
bending forward to narrow the apical cell at wing margin
...............................................................................................................................................Anthomyiidae
30b. Scutellar suture interrupted in middle;
fourth vein formed so that apical cell is not narrowed at wing margin
....................................................................................................................(Scatophagidae) Cordyluridae
31a. Costa entire, no indication of a break near
end of
subcosta............................................................................32
31b. Costa fractured just before end of
subcosta....................................................................................................35
32a. First posterior cell not strongly narrowed,
or the abdomen short and
broad..................................................33
32b. First posterior cell strongly narrowed or
closed; abdomen usually cylindrical.................................Conopidae
33a. Ocelli
present..................................................................................................................................................34
33b. Ocelli absent...................................................................................................................................Pyrogotidae
34a. Postocellar bristles convergent or
absent..........................................................(Octhipilidae) Chamaemyidae
34b. Postocellar bristles divergent or
parallel................................................................................................Otitidae
35a. Costa broken only at end of
subcosta..............................................................................................................36
35b. Costa broken near humeral crossvein in
addition to the subcostal
break.......................................................37
36a. Anal cell absent; ocellar triangle
large...........................................................................................Chloropidae
36b. Anal cell present; ocellar triangle
small........................................................................................Lonchaeidae
37a. Arista present; scutellum with rounded
edge..................................................................................................38
37b. Arista lacking; scutellum triangular with
sharp margin ..................................................................................
....................................................................................................
(Agromyzidae, partly) Cryptochaetidae
38a. Inflexed lower fronto-orbital bristles
absent...............................................................................Drosophilidae
38b. Inflexed lower fronto-orbitals
present.............................................................................................Milichiidae