WEEK 9: TAXONOMY OF NEUROPTERA & DIPTERA

In week 4 you placed insects into taxonomic orders by examining the physical characteristics of insects in combination with taxonomic keys (those found within your textbook: Borrer & De Long, 7th edition). This week, you will use the taxonomic keys to place insects into their correct family, by following the descriptions of physical characteristics that best match your insect specimen.

FAMILIES IN ORDER NEUROPTERA & DIPTERA

ORDER NEUROPTERA (Dobsonflies & Lacewings)	FAMILIES:
	(1) Corydalidae (Dobsonflies & Fishflies)
	(2) Hemerobiidae (Brown Lacewings)
	(3) Chrysopidae (Green Lacewings)
ORDER DIPTERA (Flies)	FAMILIES:
	(4) Tipulidae (Crane Flies)
	(5) Culicidae (Mosquitoes)
	(6) simuliidae (Black Flies)
	(7) Chironomidae (Midges)
	(8) Tabanidae (Horse Flies, Deer Flies)
	(9) Asilidae (Robber Flies)
	(10) Syrphidae (Syrphid Flies, Hover Flies)
	(11) Tephritidae (Fruit Flies)
	(12) Drosophilidae (Small Fruit Flies)
	(13) Anthomyiidae (Anthomyiid Flies)
	(14) Muscidae (Muscid Flies)
	(15) Calliphoridae (Blow Flies)
	(16) Sarcophagidae (Flesh Flies)
	(17) Tachinidae (Tachinid Flies)

KEYING STEPS FOR FAMILIES OF NEUROPTERA (DOBSONFLIES & LACEWINGS):

NOTE: The keying steps presented here are adapted from your textbook. Many of the steps have been omitted for ease of identifying the families you are required to know for labs and during the final exam. Identification of insects in your collection may require the complete key found in your textbook.

1	Hind wings broader at base than front wings, with enlarged anal area that is folded fanwise at rest; longitudinal veins usually forcking near wing margin; larvae aquatic (suborder Megaloptera)		2
1'	Front and hind wings similar in size and shape, hind wings without enlarged anal area that is folded fanwise at rest		9
2(1)	Ocelli present; fourth tarsal segment cylindrical; body usually 25 mm or more long; wings hyaline or with smoky areas		Corydalidae
9(7')	At least some, usually many, costal crossveins forked		10
9'	All (or nearly all) costal crossveins simple		13
10(9)	Front wings apparently with 2 or more radial sectors		Hemerobiidae
13(9')	Sc and R1 in front wing not fused near wing tip, Rs appearing unbranched; wings, at least in life, often greenish; very common insects		Chrysopidae

KEYING STEPS FOR FAMILIES OF DIPTERA (FLIES):

NOTE: The keying steps presented here are adapted from your textbook. Many of the steps have been omitted for ease of identifying the families you are required to know for labs and during the final exam. Identification of insects in your collection may require the complete key found in your textbook.

3(2')	Antennae of 6 or more freely articulated segments, in some males very long and plumose; Rs 1-4 branched, if 3-branched, it is nearly always R2+3 that is forked; palps usually with 3-5 segments (suborder Nematocera)		4
3'	Antennae of 5 or fewwer (usually 3) segments, third segment sometimes annulated (appearing divided into subsegments, but not as distinct as the 3 main antennal segments), often bearing a terminal or dorsal style or arista, never long and plumose; Rs 2- or 3-branched (rarely unbranched), if 3-branched it is nearly always R4+5 that is forked; palps with not more than 2 segments (suborder Brachycera)		31
4(3)	Mesonotum with V-shaped suture; legs long and slender		5
4'	Mesonotum without V-shaped suture; legs variable		8
5'	Ocelli absent; V-shaped suture on mesonotum complete; 3A usually more than half as long as 2A and relatively straight, or absent		6
6'	R with 4 or fewer branches reaching wing margin; M3 cell without a crossvein; 3A present or absent		7
7'	Two anal veins reaching wing margin (3A present); R 2- to 4-branched, closed discal cell usually present; halteres without a process at base		Tipulidae
8'	Wings not broad, venation not reduced, without a fanlike development of folds; antennae less than 3 times as long as body, not 6-segmented		9
9'	Ocelli absent		22
22(9')	C ending at or near wing tip		23
22'	C continuing around wing tip, though often weaker behind		25
23(22)	Wings broad, posterior veins weak; antennae about as long as head; dark-colored flies, rarely over 3 mm long, wit a somewhat humpbacked appearance		Simuliidae
23'	Wings narrower and posterior veins stronger; antennae much longer than head; habitus usually not as in the preceding entry		24
24'	M unbranched; head flattened behind; metanotum generally with median furrow or keel; legs long, front legs usually the longest; pulvilli present or absent; anterior thoracic spiracle distinctly oval; mouthparts without mandibles, not fitted for piercing		Chironomidae
25'	First tarsal segment longer than second, tarsi clearly 5-segmented; other characters variable		26
26'	Antennae at least twice as long as head, 2 basal segments neither thick nor globose; wings with 9-11 veins reaching wing margin		27
27'	Wings usually long and narrow, or if broad not pointed apically, and not densely hairy although scales may lie along the wing veins or wing margin; Rs with 3 or fewer branches, M 2-branched		28
24'	M unbranched; head flattened behind; metanotum generally with median furrow or keel; legs long, front legs usually the longest; pulvilli present or absent; anterior thoracic spiracle distinctly oval; mouthparts without mandibles, not fitted for piercing		Chironomidae
25'	First tarsal segment longer than second, tarsi clearly 5-segmented; other characters variable		26
26'	Antennae at least twice as long as head, 2 basal segments neither thick nor globose; wings with 9-11 veins reaching wing margin		27
27'	Wings usually long and narrow, or if broad not pointed apically, and not densely hairy although scales may lie along the wing veins or wing margin; Rs with 3 or fewer branches, M 2-branched		28
28(27')	Proboscis long, extending far beyond clypeus; scles present on wing veins and wing margin, usually also on body		Culicidae
31(3')	Empodia pulvilliform, tarsi with 3 pads		32
31'	Empodia bristlelike or absent, tarsi with not more than 2 pads		44
32'	Head more than half as wide as thorax; eyes never holoptic in female; calypteres usually small		33
33'	Venation normal, branches of Rs and M diverging to wing margin, branches of M ending well behind wing tip; middle and hind tibiae usually with apical spurs		35
35(33')	Third antennal segment annulated, or the antennae appearing to consist of more than 3 segments		36
36(35)	Postscutellum well developed; calypteres large and conspicuous; R4 and R5 divergen, enclosing the wing tip		37
37(36)	Both upper and lower calypteres large; first abdominal tergit with notch in middle of posterior margin and with median suture; anal cell closed; antennae usually arising below middle of head		Tabanidae
44'	Coxae close together (ventral view); body usually not particularly flattened; not ectoparasitic		46
46'	Wings rounded at apex, almost always with crossveins beyond base of wing; antennae, size, shape, and color variable		47
47(46')	Rs 3-branched		48
47'	Rs 2-branched or unbranched		55
48'	M1 (or M1+2) ending behind wing tip; size and form variable		50
50(48')	Vertex sunken, top of head concave between compound eyes, eyes never holoptic		Asilidae
55'	Second antennal segment not or scarcely longer than third, arista variable		57
57(55')	Anal cell elongate, longer than second basal cell, usually pointed apically, and narrowed or closed near wing margin; no frontal suture; head bristles usually lacking		58
57'	Anal cell usually shorter, closed some distance from wing margin, or lacking; if anal cell is elongate and pointed apically, then a frontal suture is present and head bristles are usually present		62
58'	Proboscis short; face narrow; without grooves below antennae; abdomen and R5 cell variable		59
59(58')	R5 cell closed; usually a spurious vein crossing r-m between R4+5 and M1+2		Syrphidae
62'	Frontal suture present		65
65'	Mouth opening normal, mouthparts present, functional; body usually with bristles; size, R5, M1+2 variable		66
66(65')	Second antennal segment with a longitudinal suture on outer side; thorax usually with a complete transverse suture; lower (innermost) calypter usually large (calyptrate muscoid flies, except Loxocera, family Psilidae)		67
66'	Second antennal segment without a longitudinal suture on outer side; thorax usually without complete transverse suture; lower calypter usually small or rudimentary (aclyptrate muscoid flies)		76
67(66)	Hypopleura and pteropleura with row of bristles; R5 cell narrowed or closed distally		68
67'	Hypopleura usually without bristles; if hypopleural bristles are present, than there are no pteropleural bristles, or proboscis is rigid and fitted for piercing, or R5 cell is not narrowed distally		71
68(67)	Postscutellum strongly developed; arista usually bare		Tachinidae
68'	Postscutellum not developed or only weakly developed, if weakly developed (Rhinophoridae) upper half more or less membranous and concave in profile		69
69'	Postscutellum not at all developed; calypteres not narrow; M1+2 bending forward distally, but R5 cell narrowly open at wing margin		70
70(69')	Usually 2 (rarely 3) notopleural bristles, hindmost posthumeral bristle located laterad of presutural bristle; arista usually plumose beyond basal half; body often metallic, the thorax rarely or never with black stripes on a gray background		Calliphoridae
70'	usually 4 notopleural brisles, and hindmost posthumeral bristle located even with or mesad of presutural bristle; arista generally plumose only in basal half; body not metallic, the thorax often with black stripes on a gray background		Sarcophagidae
72(71')	Sixth vein (Cu2 + 2A) usually reaching wing margin, at least as a fold, or if not (some SCathophagidae) then lower calypter linear and R5 cell ot narrowed apically		75
72'	Sixth vein never reaching wing margin, even as a fold; R5 cell variable, but often narrowed apically		73
73'	Dorsal surface of hind tibia with only preapical bristle, usually near apex but sometimes near two thirds length of tibia; Cu2 + 2A, if extended, not meeting 3A		74
74'	Hind coxa either without setae on posterior surface, or if present, then Cu2 + 2A extending more than halfway to wing margin		Muscidae
75(72)	Scutellum with fine, erect hairs on ventral surface, or if such hairs absent (Fucelliinae) then cruciate frontal bristles present; usually 2-4 sternopleural bristles		Anthomyiidae
76'	Proboscis usually short and stout, rarely longer than head; second antennal segment usually shorter than first (if longer, then anal cell is shorter than second basal cell); anal cell usually very short or absent		77
77'	Sc inclomplete, not reaching C, often fusing with R1 distally; anal cell present or absent		109
78(77)	Ocelli present; size variable; wings with or without coloring		80
80'	Posterior thoracic spiracle without bristles; head usually not spherical, abdomen usually not elongate; palps usually well developed		81
81'	Dorsum of thorax convex, if rather flattened then legs are not bristly; widely distributed		82
82'	Eyes not prominently bulging and vertex not sunken; femora, size, color variable, but usually not as in preceding entry; widely distributed		84
84'	Oral vibrissae absent		92
92(84')	Sc apically bent forward at almost a 90-degree angle and usually ending before reaching C; C broken near end of Sc; wings usually patterned		Tephritidae
109 (77')	Sc apically bent forward at olmost a 90-degree angle and ending before reaching C; C broken near end of Sc; anal cell usually with acute disal projection posteriorly; wings usually patterned		Tephritidae
109'	Sc and anal cell not as in preceding entry; wing color variable		138
138(109')	Sternopleural bristle present; body not metallic; anal cell well develped, closed apically; widely distributed, common flies		Drosophilidae

NOTE: The keying steps presented here are adapted from your textbook. Many of the steps have been omitted for ease of identifying the families you are required to know for labs and during the final exam. Identification of insects in your collection may require the complete key found in your textbook.

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