Flies
Order Diptera
368 speciesCharacterized by having only two wings, with the hindwings reduced to halteres used for balance. Diptera includes mosquitoes, gnats, midges, and true flies.
Species in this Order
African Horse Fly
Tabanus biguttatus
A large tropical horse fly that transmits animal trypanosomiasis in Africa. It is an important veter...
African Malaria Mosquito
Anopheles funestus
A major malaria vector in sub-Saharan Africa whose larvae develop in slow-moving stream margins. Pre...
Alpine Crane Fly
Tipula alpium
A large crane fly of mountain pastures and alpine meadows. Its larvae are soil-dwelling and feed on ...
Alpine Hover Fly
Sericomyia silentis
A large hover fly with bold yellow-and-black banding mimicking a wasp. It visits alpine flowers for ...
Alpine Marsh Fly
Elgiva solicita
A snail-killing fly of wet alpine meadows and bogs. Its larvae are specialist predators of aquatic s...
Alpine Snow Fly
Chionea lutescens
A yellowish wingless crane fly found on snow in alpine regions. It breeds in soil beneath the snowpa...
Alpine Soldierfly
Oxycera morrisii
A small, brightly patterned soldierfly found near mountain springs and seepages. Its larvae develop ...
American Horse Fly
Tabanus americanus
One of the largest horse flies in North America with a dark brown body and conspicuous green or purp...
American Hoverfly
Eupeodes americanus
A widespread North American hoverfly with yellow and black markings. Larvae are voracious aphid pred...
Ant-decapitating Fly
Pseudacteon tricuspis
A minute parasitoid fly that targets fire ants by injecting eggs into their bodies. The developing l...
Antarctic Midge
Belgica antarctica
The only insect endemic to Antarctica and the continents largest purely terrestrial animal at 2-6 mm...
Apple Maggot Fly
Rhagoletis pomonella
A fruit fly pest whose larvae tunnel through apple flesh causing brown trails. It is a textbook exam...
Aquatic Crane Fly
Antocha saxicola
A small crane fly whose larvae build silken cases on submerged rocks in fast-flowing streams. Larvae...
Aquatic Snail-killing Fly
Sepedon sphegea
A slender marsh fly with a distinctly pointed abdomen and yellowish-brown coloring. Larvae are aquat...
Arabiensis Mosquito
Anopheles arabiensis
A member of the Anopheles gambiae complex that thrives in drier, more arid conditions. It feeds on b...
Arctic Chironomid Midge
Diamesa mendotae
A slender, non-biting midge with long legs and feathery antennae in males. Larvae are among the firs...
Arctic Crane Fly
Tipula arctica
A large, long-legged fly with narrow wings and a slender body. Its legs break off easily when seized...
Arctic Flower Fly
Platycheirus melanopsis
A small hover fly with a dark body and distinctive pale facial markings. It is an important pollinat...
Arctic Hover Fly
Syrphus torvus
A medium-sized hover fly with bold yellow and black banding that mimics a wasp. It is a skilled hove...
Arctic Louse Fly
Ornithomya fringillina
A flattened, wingless or short-winged parasitic fly that lives among the feathers of Arctic birds. I...
Arctic Mosquito
Aedes nigripes
A large, dark-bodied mosquito common across the Arctic tundra. Females emerge in enormous swarms aft...
Asian Malaria Mosquito
Anopheles stephensi
An urban malaria mosquito that breeds in water storage tanks and cisterns. It is the primary malaria...
Asian Tiger Mosquito
Aedes albopictus
A striking black mosquito with a single white stripe down the thorax and banded legs. It is a highly...
Australian Beefly Robber
Blepharotes coriarius
Australia's largest robber fly, heavily built with a dense covering of dark hair. It is a powerful p...
Australian Hoverfly
Simosyrphus grandicornis
A common Australian hoverfly with orange-yellow markings on a dark abdomen. It is an important polli...
Australian Malaria Mosquito
Anopheles farauti
A pale-winged Anopheles mosquito that is the dominant malaria vector in Papua New Guinea, the Solomo...
Australian March Fly
Bibio imitator
A robust black bibionid fly that appears in large numbers during the Australian autumn. It has a hai...
Australian Sheep Blowfly
Calliphora augur
A large, dark blue blow fly endemic to Australia with a distinctive orange face and cheeks. It is on...
Australian Stiletto Fly
Anabarhynchus bilineatus
A slender gray stiletto fly with two pale longitudinal stripes on the thorax and a distinctly tapere...
Autumn Horse Fly
Tabanus autumnalis
A large greyish horse fly active in late summer and autumn. It has striking green-banded eyes and a ...
Balloon Dance Fly
Hilara maura
A dance fly famous for its elaborate mating ritual in which males present silk-wrapped prey gifts to...
Banana Stalk Fly
Telostylinus angusticollis
A slender long-legged fly from Australia whose body size depends on larval nutrition. Larger males p...
Band-eyed Brown Horse Fly
Tabanus bromius
A common European horse fly with distinctive banded eyes. It is one of the most frequent biters of c...
Banded Blackfly
Simulium ornatum
A widespread European black fly species complex found in diverse stream types. Larvae filter-feed fr...
Banded General Soldier Fly
Stratiomys potamida
A large, boldly marked soldier fly with a broad flat abdomen bearing yellow lateral markings. Its aq...
Bat Fly
Penicillidia conspicua
A bizarre wingless fly that lives exclusively as an ectoparasite on bats. It has lost its wings enti...
Batman Hoverfly
Myathropa florea
A wasp-mimicking hoverfly with a distinctive bat-shaped marking on its thorax, earning it the nickna...
Bazaar Fly
Musca sorbens
A tropical fly that feeds on eye and wound secretions, spreading trachoma. It is a major public heal...
Bearded Robber Fly
Machimus atricapillus
A common European robber fly with a prominent mystax (facial beard) of bristles that protect its fac...
Bee Fly
Bombylius major
A fuzzy bee mimic with a long fixed proboscis used for hovering in front of flowers to drink nectar....
Bee Killer Robber Fly
Mallophora bomboides
A large fuzzy robber fly that closely resembles a bumble bee in both appearance and buzzing flight. ...
Belkin's Dune Tabanid Fly
Brennania belkini
A rare horse fly known only from the El Segundo sand dunes in Los Angeles County. Larvae develop in ...
Big-headed Fly
Pipunculus campestris
A small fly with an enormously enlarged, almost entirely eye-covered spherical head. It hovers in ve...
Bioluminescent Fungus Gnat
Keroplatus testaceus
A remarkable fungus gnat whose larvae create bioluminescent webs on bracket fungi. The blue-green gl...
Biting Midge
Culicoides impunctatus
A tiny, gray, blood-sucking fly notorious in Scotland and Scandinavia as the Highland midge. Swarms ...
Biting Midge (No-See-Um)
Culicoides imicola
A tiny biting midge that is the primary Old World vector of bluetongue virus and African horse sickn...
Black Blow Fly
Phormia regina
A dark metallic blow fly that is among the first insects to colonize a corpse. It is a key species i...
Black Horse Fly
Tabanus atratus
A very large entirely black horse fly and one of the biggest flies in North America. Females are per...
Black Soldier Fly
Hermetia illucens
A large, wasp-like fly with a shiny black body and translucent areas on the abdomen. Its larvae are ...
Black-Tailed Deer Fly
Chrysops niger
A small dark deer fly with mostly blackened wings and green iridescent eyes. It is an aggressive day...
Blandford Fly
Simulium posticatum
A notorious black fly that causes severe allergic reactions with its bite around the Blandford area ...
Blue Bottle Fly
Calliphora vomitoria
A large, metallic blue fly with a loud buzzing flight and prominent bristly body. It is one of the f...
Blue Mountains Glowworm
Arachnocampa richardsae
An Australian bioluminescent fungus gnat closely related to the New Zealand glowworm. Its larvae han...
Bluebottle Fly
Calliphora vicina
A common metallic blue blowfly found in urban areas worldwide. Breeds in dead pigeons, rodents and m...
Bot Fly
Dermatobia hominis
Parasitic fly whose larvae develop under the skin of mammals including humans. Female captures a mos...
Brevipalpis Tsetse Fly
Glossina brevipalpis
The largest species of tsetse fly, with a robust body and short palps from which its name derives. I...
Brine Fly
Ephydra hians
A fly that thrives in the extremely alkaline waters of Mono Lake....
Bristly Tachinid
Epalpus signifer
A bristly gray parasitic fly found across North America. It parasitizes a wide range of caterpillars...
Bristly Tachinid Fly
Nowickia ferox
A large, heavily bristled tachinid fly with a gray-checkered pattern on the abdomen. It is conspicuo...
Broad Centurion Soldier Fly
Chloromyia formosa
A beautiful metallic green soldier fly with a broad, flattened abdomen and coppery reflections. Male...
Buffalo Fly
Haematobia irritans exigua
A small blood-feeding fly closely related to the horn fly, found primarily in Southeast Asia and Aus...
Bumblebee-mimicking Tachinid
Jurinia frontalis
A large, furry tachinid fly that closely mimics a bumblebee with its dense covering of orange and bl...
Bush Fly
Musca vetustissima
Australia's most iconic nuisance fly, swarming around faces to feed on moisture. It breeds in cattle...
Caribou Bot Fly
Cephenemyia jellisoni
A robust, furry fly that parasitizes caribou and deer in North America. Like its Eurasian relative, ...
Caterpillar Tachinid
Lydella thompsoni
A small gray parasitic fly that attacks European corn borer larvae. It was introduced to North Ameri...
Chagasi Sandfly
Lutzomyia evansi
A small sandfly found in northern Colombia and Venezuela that is an important vector of Leishmania i...
Cheese Skipper
Piophila casei
A small fly whose larvae infest stored cheese, cured meats, and other protein-rich foods. Larvae can...
Christmas Island Blue Crab Fly
Paramyia nitens
A tiny fly found on Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean associated with red crab migrations. It lay...
Cinnamon Tachinid
Adejeania vexatrix
A large, robust tachinid fly with reddish-brown coloring and prominent bristles. It is a common para...
Cluster Fly
Pollenia rudis
A medium-sized, dark gray fly with golden-brown hairs on the thorax. In autumn, it gathers in large ...
Coffin Fly
Conicera tibialis
A tiny humpbacked fly capable of burrowing through soil to reach buried remains. It is of forensic i...
Cold-water Glacier Midge
Diamesa cinerella
A cold-adapted midge found in high-altitude streams fed by snowmelt. Its larvae are among the first ...
Comb-horned Crane Fly
Ctenophora ornata
A striking wasp-mimicking crane fly with yellow and black abdominal bands. Males have elaborate comb...
Common Bat Fly
Basilia nana
A tiny, completely wingless spider-like fly that parasitizes bats. Its body is so highly modified fo...
Common Compost Hoverfly
Syritta pipiens
A tiny, slender hoverfly with distinctively swollen hind femora and a darting flight pattern. It bre...
Common Crane Fly
Tipula oleracea
A large gray-brown crane fly with extremely long fragile legs that often enters homes in autumn. Its...
Common Fungus Gnat
Bradysia impatiens
A small, delicate dark fly with long legs and antennae that commonly infests houseplant soil. Adults...
Common Gnat
Culex modestus
A small brownish mosquito widespread across Europe and Central Asia that breeds in marshes and rice ...
Common House Fly
Musca domestica
One of the most widely distributed insects on Earth. Can taste with their feet, which have chemorece...
Common House Mosquito
Culex pipiens
A ubiquitous pale brown mosquito found in urban and suburban environments. It is the primary vector ...
Common Malaria Mosquito
Anopheles quadrimaculatus
A freshwater mosquito that was the primary malaria vector in the eastern United States. Larvae float...
Common Moth Fly
Psychoda alternata
A tiny grayish moth fly with broad, hairy wings giving it a distinctly moth-like appearance. Its win...
Common Stiletto Fly
Thereva nobilitata
A slender, densely hairy fly with a pointed abdomen and silvery-white body hairs. Adults bask on sun...
Common Thick-headed Fly
Sicus ferrugineus
A distinctive orange-brown fly with a disproportionately large, inflated head and a curved abdomen. ...
Comstock's Net-Winged Midge
Agathon comstocki
A western North American net-winged midge found on waterfall-splashed rocks. Larvae have a unique ca...
Congo Floor Maggot Fly
Auchmeromyia senegalensis
A yellowish-brown blow fly whose larvae are unique among Diptera in being temporary ectoparasites th...
Conops Fly
Conops flavipes
A wasp-mimicking fly with yellow legs and a narrow waist. Females parasitize adult bumblebees....
Copper-Bottom Blow Fly
Lucilia cuprina
A metallic green-gold blow fly that is the most destructive cause of sheep blowfly strike in Austral...
Crane Fly
Tipula paludosa
Often mistaken for giant mosquitoes but completely harmless. Adults often do not feed at all. Larvae...
Cylindrical Tachinid
Cylindromyia brassicaria
A slender, wasp-like parasitic fly with a narrow cylindrical abdomen. Parasitizes shieldbugs by layi...
Dance Fly
Empis tessellata
A predatory fly in which males present silk-wrapped insect prey as nuptial gifts to females. Mating ...
Dance Fly with Feathered Legs
Rhamphomyia sulcata
A small dance fly where females have distinctive feathered or pennate leg scales used to attract mal...
Dark Giant Horse Fly
Tabanus sudeticus
The largest horse fly in the British Isles, dark brown with a robust build. Females deliver an extre...
Dark-edged Bee-fly
Bombylius major discolor
A subspecies of the bee-fly with slightly different wing patterning found in eastern populations....
Dark-winged Fungus Gnat
Sciara hemerobioides
A small, dark fungus gnat with smoky wings and long slender antennae. Its larvae are known for formi...
Deer Bot Fly
Cephenemyia stimulator
A parasitic fly that deposits larvae in the nostrils of roe deer. The larvae develop in the pharynge...
Deer Fly (Chrysops)
Chrysops silacea
A medium-sized fly with striking patterned wings and bright green eyes. It is the primary vector of ...
Deer Ked
Lipoptena cervi
A flattened, reddish-brown blood-sucking fly that sheds its wings upon finding a deer host. It cling...
Delhi Sands Flower-loving Fly
Rhaphiomidas terminatus abdominalis
A large flower fly endemic to the Delhi Sands area of San Bernardino County, California. It was the ...
Dimidiata Deer Fly
Chrysops dimidiata
A medium-sized deer fly with distinctly banded wings, found in West African rainforests. It serves a...