Diptera Order: Flies

Flies live in the water only as larva and pupa (Complete Metamorphosis). The adults emerge and leave the vicinity of the pond, but will return to water to lay eggs. At most, the adults only have two pairs of wings. The hind wings are absent, and in their place are small vestigial organs called halters. The larva do not have legs, instead they have small fleshy appendages called prolegs or no legs at all. Dipterans can be found in almost any habitat, including pools of crude oil in northeren Alaska. For a wealth of information on flies I would suggest visiting The Diptera Site.

The diptera on this site are identified by their color and by the various appendages found on the larva.


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	Go to the Key Flies live in the water only as larva and pupa (Complete Metamorphosis). The adults emerge and leave the vicinity of the pond, but will return to water to lay eggs. At most, the adults only have two pairs of wings. The hind wings are absent, and in their place are small vestigial organs called halters. The larva do not have legs, instead they have small fleshy appendages called prolegs or no legs at all. Dipterans can be found in almost any habitat, including pools of crude oil in northeren Alaska. For a wealth of information on flies I would suggest visiting The Diptera Site. The diptera on this site are identified by their color and by the various appendages found on the larva.