DipteraDiptera Index Drone Flies and Hover Flies Flies Pollinators and Flies The Eyes of Flies Australian Sheep Blowfly (Lucilia cuprina) Australian Drain Fly Bat Flies Bee Flies Bee Flies Index Anthrax (Bee Fly) Australiphthiria Balaana Beefly Cryomyia sp Ligyra Neosardus cosmus Chrysomya saffranea Clogmia (Moth Fly) Eristalinus punctulatus Miltinus stenogaster Musca Odontomyia (Soldier Flies) Odontomyia Index Hermetia illucens (Black Soldier Fly) Physiphora alceae Physocephala australiana Robber Flies Sarcophaga aurifrons Soldier Fly Syrphidae Syrphids Common Halfband (Melangyna viridiceps) Yellow-shouldered Stout Hover Fly (Simosyrphus grandicornis) Therevidae
— also see Syrphidae
The Order Diptera (true flies) is derived from the Greek di – “two”, and pteron “wing”, with insects of this order using only a single pair of wings to fly. The hindwings having evolved into advanced mechanosensory organs known as halteres, which act as high-speed sensors of rotational movement and allow dipterans to perform advanced aerobatics.1

Diptera is a large order that is estimated to contain an estimated 1,000,000 species, although only about 125,000 species have currently been described.
Included in this group are many insects commonly known as mosquitoes, midges, sand flies, blowflies, crane flies, hoverflies and the house fly.

Some of the common characteristics of the order Diptera include2:
- One pair of wings (forewings)
- Hindwings reduced to club-like halteres
- A large and moveable head
- Compound eyes that are often very large
- Sucking, piercing and sucking or sponge-like mouthparts (all adapted for a liquid diet)
- The mesothorax (middle segment of the thorax or mid-body) is enlarged, with the prothorax and metathorax small
- Complete metamorphosis, with larvae (maggots) that are always legless, with chewing mouthparts or mouth-hooks, and that often pupate within a hardened case (puparium)


Check out some of our listed information on flies:
- Diptera
- family Bombyliidae; subfamily Anthracinae; tribe Exoprosopini; genus Balaana;
- Balaana Beefly (Balaana abscondita), species
- family Bombyliidae; subfamily Anthracinae; tribe Anthracini;
- family Bombyliidae; subfamily Anthracinae; genus Ligyra;
- Bee Fly (Ligyra cingulata), species
- family Bombyliidae; subfamily Phthiriinae; tribe Phthiriini;
- Australiphthiria, genus
- family Calliphoridae; subfamily Chrysomyinae; genus Chrysomya
- family: Muscidae; subfamily Muscinae;
- Musca, genus
- family Psychodidae; genus Clogmia;
- family Sarcophagidae; subfamily Sarcophaginae; genus Sarcophaga; subgenus infrageneric Taylorimyia;
- family Syrphidae; subfamily Eristaliinae; genus Eristalinus
- family Tachinidae; subfamily Goniinae; genus Trigonospila;
- Tachinid Bristle Fly (Trigonospila brevifacies / Trigonospila cingulata), species
- family Therevidae; subfamily Agapophytinae; genus Agapophytus;
- Stiletto Fly (Agapophytus yeatesi), species
- family Bombyliidae; subfamily Anthracinae; tribe Exoprosopini; genus Balaana;


- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Superorder: Panorpida
- (unranked): Antliophora
- Order: Diptera

Footnote & References
- Fly, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fly (last visited Feb. 12, 2022)
- Diptera, Linnaeus, 1758, Flies, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/DIPTERA
- Flies Order Diptera, iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/47822-Diptera
- Flies and mosquitoes: Order Diptera, Australian Museum, https://australian.museum/learn/animals/insects/flies-and-mosquitoes-order-diptera/
- Flies, CSIRO, https://www.csiro.au/en/research/animals/insects/flies-research
- Diptera (Flies), Field Guide to the Insects of Tasmania, https://tasmanianinsectfieldguide.com/hexapoda/insectsoftasmaniadiptera/
DipteraDiptera Index Drone Flies and Hover Flies Flies Pollinators and Flies The Eyes of Flies Australian Sheep Blowfly (Lucilia cuprina) Australian Drain Fly Bat Flies Bee Flies Bee Flies Index Anthrax (Bee Fly) Australiphthiria Balaana Beefly Cryomyia sp Ligyra Neosardus cosmus Chrysomya saffranea Clogmia (Moth Fly) Eristalinus punctulatus Miltinus stenogaster Musca Odontomyia (Soldier Flies) Odontomyia Index Hermetia illucens (Black Soldier Fly) Physiphora alceae Physocephala australiana Robber Flies Sarcophaga aurifrons Soldier Fly Syrphidae Syrphids Common Halfband (Melangyna viridiceps) Yellow-shouldered Stout Hover Fly (Simosyrphus grandicornis) Therevidae
InsectsBees Beetles Blattodea Butterflies Coleoptera Cicada Crabronidae Diptera Dragonflies & Damselflies Formicidae Hemiptera Heteroptera Moths Orthoptera Orthopteroid Processionary Caterpillar Stink Bugs, Shield Bugs and Allies Wasps Water Scorpion (Laccotrephes tristis) Witchetty Grub