Although many winged insects are commonly
called "flies," the name is strictly applicable only to
members of the Diptera. It is one of the largest insect orders and
contains over 85,000 species; all are relatively small and have soft
bodies. Mouth parts are of the sucking type, but there is great
variation. Some, like the blood-suckers, are serious pests.
Flies are beneficial as scavengers and predators or other insect pests.
Diptera are divided into three large groups:
Nematocera (crane flies, midges, gnats, and mosquitoes); the Brachycera
(horse flies, robber flies and bee flies); and Cyclorrhapha (flies that
breed in vegetable or animal material, both living and
dead.) |
