Diptera- morphology, terminology, taxonomy, and economic importance

Question 1

What is the main pollinator species?

Answer 1

Mosquitos because males sugar feed.

Question 2

How long ago did plasmodium first become associated with mosquitos?

Answer 2

100m years.

Question 3

What kind of metamorphosis do diptera undertake?

Answer 3

Complete metamorphosis, often larvae are completely different and feed on different things

Question 4

HOw long is the larval and pupal stage in flies?

Answer 4

Larval stage is the longest, the pupal stage takes 1-3 weeks.

Question 5

In species that are NOT true maggots (e.g sandfly laevae), what is the headcase made of?

Answer 5

Chitin

Question 6

What is the larvae of a true maggot like?

Answer 6

No head, just mouthparts on the body.

Question 7

what is unusual about mosq pupae?

Answer 7

THey move

Question 8

How do the antennae allow mosq to find females?

Answer 8

Cocktail effect- they can zone into the particular frequency of a female.

Question 9

Where are the flight muscles? what else is here if not?

Answer 9

Mesothorax. Have a resonance box if they do not have direct flight muscles.

Question 10

How can the thorax be diagnostic?

Answer 10

By looking at the shape and arrangement of the thoracic plates which have integument between them- species-specific.

Question 11

What are spiracles and what can we use them for?

Answer 11

Holes on the sides of the abdomen. Anterior and posterior spiracles can be diagnostic. Used for breathing.

Question 12

What liquid should you not use for storing mosquito specimens and why?

Answer 12

Ethanol- rubs off the scales which can be diagnostic.

Question 13

How can fly olfaction be used to find a food source? How do they feed?

Answer 13

Olfaction/ taste receptors on feet which aid in finding a blood source.
Cannot eat solids so use their suction mouthparts to suck up liquid made by releasing digestive enzymes.

Question 14

Which species is the exception to larvae being apodars (legless)?

Answer 14

Rhagionidae

Question 15

what are ocelli?

Answer 15

Black and white visual receptors that sense the depth of field.

Question 16

What are the frons?

Answer 16

At the front of the head, often with lots of hairs associated

Question 17

What is chaetotaxy? Which bristles are important?

Answer 17

The arrangement of bristles and which way they face.

Post vertical bristles on the back of the head are important.

Question 18

What are chemosensors on the labarum for?

Answer 18

for finding capillaries under the skin

Question 19

How do stomoxys pierce the skin?

Answer 19

Pharyngeal teeth

Question 20

What is the aedeagus?

Answer 20

Penis

Question 21

How many species inthe An gambiae complex are vectors for human malaria?

Answer 21

2-

gambiae gambiae and gambiae arabiensis

Question 22

What does paraphyletic mean?

Answer 22

Do not have a common ancestor but look alike.

Question 23

What is an infra order?

Answer 23

A taxonomic ranking below suborder

Question 24

Describe the wing venation of crane flies

Answer 24

Have anal wing veins that come all the way to the edge (reach the wing margins, as lots of primative flies do).

Question 25

What are the characteristic wing veins of simuulidae?

Answer 25

A1 and A1 are SHORT

Question 26

What does monophyletic mean?

Answer 26

Organisms that are classified into the same taxon and share a recent common ancestor.

Question 27

To which suborder of diptera do houseflies belong? How many families in this suborder?

Answer 27

Brachycera, 120. Is one of the most major suborders.

Question 28

Which family could be flies to save the world and why?

what is characteristic wing venation?

Answer 28

Stratimyiae. Feed on animal and household waste and are very high in protien, doesnt consume water (gets it from food)- could be used as a future food source.

Hexagonal discal cell has three veins coming off (M1, M2+3 and M4).

Question 29

How is tabanidae wing veination characteristic?

Answer 29

Characteristic loop of R4 and R5 at the tip of the wing.

Question 30

How do you dissolve lipids on flies?

Answer 30

Use ethylacetate overnight. Reveals abdominal banding patterns

Question 31

How do spider killing flies live? What are they called?

Answer 31

Acroceridae (spider parasitoids). Climbs on the back of the spider’s abdomen and inserts itself into its box (primitive lung) and waits for the spider to mature.

Question 32

What about the arista of higher flies (muscomorpha) are important?

Answer 32

Shape and how they are arranged.

Question 33

What are schizophora vs aschiza?

Answer 33

Schiza= split

Either have a ptilinum or do not.

Question 34

What are calypters?

Answer 34

Small membranous wing-like structures at the base of the wings in some species of fly. Function is not known!
Presence, size and arrangement is important.

Question 35

Which fly is most agriculturally important?

Answer 35

Tephritidae - cosmopolitan Mediterranean fruit fly speices which has no species specificity and destroys crops- is hard to control!

Question 36

What are dung flies called and what is a diagnostic feature?

Answer 36

Sphaeroceridae. Have an expanded third tarsae.

Question 37

How do craneflies have economic importance?

Answer 37

Eat crops and grasses and destroys food for livestock.

Question 38

What do fungus gnats eat?

Answer 38

Mushrooms

Question 39

How can fungus gnats cause asphyxia?

Answer 39

Outbreaks of the flies shed lots of scales which can cause asphyxia.

Question 40

How do gall midges have an economic impact?

Answer 40

Affect especially orchards. Affect oak trees by forming galls which reduces productivity.

Question 41

What is the Simulium posticatum>?

Answer 41

The Blandford fly- causes itching by biting to get a blood meal to lay eggs. Was an outbreak in the 60s.