Lecture 4 Flashcards
What is the name for the housefly?
Musca domestica
What order are true flies in?
-Order Diptera
-‘di’ = two
-‘ptera’ = wings
-Hind wings reduced to halteres
How many species of flies worldwide?
Approx 100,000
Are flies mouthparts modified?
-Yes
-For sponging/sucking/piercing
Characteristics of order Diptera
-Adults with two (front) wings and ‘spoon-shaped’ halteres replacing hind wings
Diptera Larvae
-Larvae are always apodus (with no legs) vermiform with a eucephalous (well-developed), hemicephaous (retracted) or acephalous (with no) head capsule
-Legless larve =’maggots’
-Found in aquatic, semi-aquatic, terrestrial
-Soil, plant or animal tissue, carrion or dung
-Herbivores, dead organic matter, parasites
Economic importance of Diptera
-Good and bad
-Pests of plant
-Pollinators
-Decomposers
-Biocontrol
-Disease transmission
-Greater economic impact on humans than any other group of animals
How many sub-orders in the diptera order?
-3 suborders
-Nematocera- antennae long, slender
-Brachycera- antennae short, hairy or spiny
-Cyclorrhapha- antennae short, less prominent
Nematocera
-Simple multi-segmented antennae
-Relatively long legs
Crane Fly
-Tipula paludosa
-Family: Tipulidae
-Crane fly larvae= ‘leatherjackets’
-‘Apodpus’ (legless) larvae
-‘hemicephalous’ head capsule retracted into thorax
-Posterior ‘spiracles’ surrounded by finger-like papillae
-Leather jackets= damage to crops
What insects damage seedling crops following grass pasture?
-Wireworms
-Chafer grubs
-Leatherjackets
Midges
-Culicoides
-Family: Ceratopogonidae
-Active April-November
-29 species in Ireland
-6 that will bite people
-Female midge that bites
-Most midge species are intolerant to direct sunlight
How many species of midges in Ireland?
-29 species
-6 that will bite people
-Female midge that bite
Culicoides- Virus transmission
-Blue tongue virus
-Schmallenberg virus
-Oropouche virus
Bluetongue Virus (BTV)
-Known for Med
-Only 3 strains have made to Northern Europe
-2007 epidemic- BTV8 made it to UK but not Ireland
-2017- Bluetongue in France
-20 midge species found on Irish farms; about half could be vectors of BTV
Mosquitos
-Family: Culicidae
-Malaria
-Mosquitos and insecticide resistance
Cyclorrhapha
-House fly
-Musca domestica
-Family Muscidae
-Most dangerous insect on earth?
Screwworms
-Cochliomyia hominivorax
-Family: Calliphoridae
-Attack healthy animal tissue
Sterile Insect Technique
- Mass-rearing of insects takes place in special facilities
- Male and female insects are separated. Ionising radiation is used to sterilise the male insects
- The sterile male insects are released over tows or cities
- Where they compete with wild males to mate with females
- These females lay eggs that are infertile and bear no offspring, reducing the insect population
Tsetse flies
-Family: Glossinidae
-Adenotrophic viviparity
-Sleeping sickeness, nagana
Carrot Fly
-Psila rosea
-Family- Psilidae
-Carrot fly attack- stunted seedlings with wilting foliage
Non-chemical control of carrot flies
-Use of fine mesh fleece
-‘Ring-fencing’ small areas
-Inter-cropping with none-host crops
Leaf Miners
-American serpentine leaf miner
-Liriomyza trifolii
-Family: Agromyzidae
-Damages a wide range of ornamental glasshouse crops
-Diglyphus parasitoid wasp- glasshouse biocontrol agent used for leaf miner control
Fruit fly
- Drosophilidae
-Family: Drosophilidae
-Drosophila melanogaster
-Drosophila melanogaster: model organism for research, has won 8 noble prizes
Drosophila suzukii
-Spotted wing Drosophila
-Family Frosophilidae
-Dublin/Wexford etc
Forensic entomology of calliphoridae
-Blow flies
Forensic entomology of sarcophagidae
-Flesh flies
Forensic entomology of muscidae
-House flies
Hoverflies
-Family: Syrphidae
-Very large eyes
-Wing vein parallel to hind margin of front wings
-Larva apodous and acephalous
-Many larvae of hoverflies are aphid predators
