This lecture provides an overview of the order Diptera (flies and mosquitoes). It discusses their classification, with a focus on families that are medically or ecologically important. It describes key characteristics of larvae and pupae in the suborders Nematocera and Brachycera. Examples of important families are given, along with images of species like Anopheles mosquitoes, Culex pipiens, and Phlebotomus papatasi. The lecture aims to give students knowledge of dipteran insects and identification of common families.

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.