Lecture 4

Question 1

What is the name for the housefly?

Answer 1

Musca domestica

Question 2

What order are true flies in?

Answer 2

-Order Diptera

-‘di’ = two

-‘ptera’ = wings

-Hind wings reduced to halteres

Question 3

How many species of flies worldwide?

Answer 3

Approx 100,000

Question 4

Are flies mouthparts modified?

Answer 4

-Yes
-For sponging/sucking/piercing

Question 5

Characteristics of order Diptera

Answer 5

-Adults with two (front) wings and ‘spoon-shaped’ halteres replacing hind wings

Question 6

Diptera Larvae

Answer 6

-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

Question 7

Economic importance of Diptera

Answer 7

-Good and bad
-Pests of plant
-Pollinators
-Decomposers
-Biocontrol
-Disease transmission
-Greater economic impact on humans than any other group of animals

Question 8

How many sub-orders in the diptera order?

Answer 8

-3 suborders

-Nematocera- antennae long, slender

-Brachycera- antennae short, hairy or spiny

-Cyclorrhapha- antennae short, less prominent

Question 9

Nematocera

Answer 9

-Simple multi-segmented antennae
-Relatively long legs

Question 10

Crane Fly

Answer 10

-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

Question 11

What insects damage seedling crops following grass pasture?

Answer 11

-Wireworms
-Chafer grubs
-Leatherjackets

Question 12

Midges

Answer 12

-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

Question 13

How many species of midges in Ireland?

Answer 13

-29 species
-6 that will bite people
-Female midge that bite

Question 14

Culicoides- Virus transmission

Answer 14

-Blue tongue virus
-Schmallenberg virus
-Oropouche virus

Question 15

Bluetongue Virus (BTV)

Answer 15

-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

Question 16

Mosquitos

Answer 16

-Family: Culicidae
-Malaria
-Mosquitos and insecticide resistance

Question 17

Cyclorrhapha

Answer 17

-House fly
-Musca domestica
-Family Muscidae
-Most dangerous insect on earth?

Question 18

Screwworms

Answer 18

-Cochliomyia hominivorax
-Family: Calliphoridae
-Attack healthy animal tissue

Question 19

Sterile Insect Technique

Answer 19

1. Mass-rearing of insects takes place in special facilities
2. Male and female insects are separated. Ionising radiation is used to sterilise the male insects
3. The sterile male insects are released over tows or cities
4. Where they compete with wild males to mate with females
5. These females lay eggs that are infertile and bear no offspring, reducing the insect population

Question 20

Tsetse flies

Answer 20

-Family: Glossinidae
-Adenotrophic viviparity
-Sleeping sickeness, nagana

Question 21

Carrot Fly

Answer 21

-Psila rosea
-Family- Psilidae
-Carrot fly attack- stunted seedlings with wilting foliage

Question 22

Non-chemical control of carrot flies

Answer 22

-Use of fine mesh fleece
-‘Ring-fencing’ small areas
-Inter-cropping with none-host crops

Question 23

Leaf Miners

Answer 23

-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

Question 24

Fruit fly

Answer 24

• Drosophilidae
  -Family: Drosophilidae
  -Drosophila melanogaster
  -Drosophila melanogaster: model organism for research, has won 8 noble prizes

Question 25

Drosophila suzukii

Answer 25

-Spotted wing Drosophila
-Family Frosophilidae
-Dublin/Wexford etc

Question 26

Forensic entomology of calliphoridae

Answer 26

-Blow flies

Question 27

Forensic entomology of sarcophagidae

Answer 27

-Flesh flies

Question 28

Forensic entomology of muscidae

Answer 28

-House flies

Question 29

Hoverflies

Answer 29

-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