CLASSIFICATION The order Diptera includes two major includes the vast majority of families and groups, viz., the Nematocera (mosqui- the large group Cyclorrhapha. In toes, midges, gnats, etc.) and the Cyclorrhapha the larvae pupate inside a Brachycera (true flies). Both groups are usually barrel-shaped puparium made up divided into a number of subgroups (see of the skin of the last larval instar. Adult fig. 1 and Classification table below). Cyclorrhaphous flies leave this puparium There is some general agreement on the through a more or less circular orifice. In divisions mentioned here. The relation- case of all Brachycera that have been posi- ships between the various groups (fig. 1), tioned earlier in the systematic order, the however, are still a matter of debate. This adults emerge through a longitudinal or a also applies to the question of which T-shaped slit, giving rise to the name of groups are to be accorded family status. Orthorrapha that is often used to denote In the table below, groupings of families these Diptera. for which no current name is available are In the Cyclorrhapha, the largest group indicated as Lower Muscomorpha, Lower are the Schizophora, comprising all Eremoneura, Lower Cyclorrhapha. The Acalyptrate and Calyptrate fly families, all terms Higher and Lower are used in the of which possess a ptilinum (see literature on systematics to indicate the Terminology). In the Calyptratae the position of a group within the overall lower calypters are generally well devel- order of all groups. oped, in the Acalyptrate flies this struc- The name Nematocera means ‘thread- ture is small (see the identification key, like antennae’ and refers to the antennae no. 82). The latter group includes many in this group that are often long and usu- families. In the Calyptrate families ally comprise many segments. Hippoboscidae, Nycteribiidae and Streb- Conversely, the Brachycera have short lidae, all parasites of mammals and birds, antennae, most often consisting of three the larvae develop fully inside the female segments plus an arista. The maximum womb and pupate immediately after dep- number of segments in the Brachycera is osition. These families are sometimes 10, with the exception of the Rachiceridae grouped under the name Pupipara. in which this number reaches about 40 Another group within the Calyptrate flies due to secondary division of the seg- are the bots and warbleflies, including the ments. three families of Gasterophilidae, Hypo- The European Nematocera are split up dermatidae and Oestridae. Their larval into seven infraorders and the European stages live as parasites in mammals. The Brachycera into four infraorders. One of adult flies show largely reduced mouth- the latter, the infraorder Muscomorpha, parts and are unable to feed. 1 Outline of the relation- ships between the higher categories of the Diptera; after Yeates & Wiegmann 1999 CLASSIFICATION TABLE Names of higher categories have specific endings, indicating their rank; some of the end- ings used in zoology are: Infraorder: -morpha; Superfamily: -oidea; Family: -idae; Subfamily: -inae; Tribe: -ini. Behind the family name the number of genera and species in Europe is given. SUBORDER INFRAORDER SUPERFAMILY FAMILY(132) Nematocera (Midges and the like) 32 families C Tipulomorpha Tipuloidea Tipulidae: 10, 470 Limoniidae: 70, 560 Pediciidae: 5, 60 Cylindrotomidae: 4, 6 Trichoceroidea Trichoceridae: 2, 50 Blephariceromorpha Blephariceroidea Blephariceridae: 5, 38 Axymyiomorpha Axymyioidea Axymyiidae: 1, 1 Bibionomorpha Pachyneuroidea Pachyneuridae: 1, 1 Bibionoidea Bibionidae: 2, 47 Pleciidae: 1, 2 Hesperinidae: 1, 1 Sciaroidea Mycetophilidae: 70, 945 Bolitophilidae: 1, 36 Diadocidiidae: 1, 5 Ditomyiidae: 2, 2 Keroplatidae: 16, 110 Sciaridae: 28, 620 Cecidomyiidae: 280, 1640 Psychodomorpha Psychodoidea Psychodidae: 40, 500 Anisopodoidea Anisopodidae: 1, 10 Mycetobiidae: 2, 4 Scatopsoidea Scatopsidae: 22, 100 Synneuridae: 1, 1 Canthyloscelidae: 1, 2 Ptychopteromorpha Ptychopteroidea Ptychopteridae: 1, 15 Culicomorpha Culicoidea Dixidae: 2, 32 Chaoboridae: 3, 9 Culicidae: 8, 105 Chironomoidea Thaumaleidae: 3, 75 Simuliidae: 8, 230 Ceratopogonidae: 30, 590 Chironomidae: 180, 1190 Brachycera (True Flies) 100 families Xylophagomorpha Xylophagoidea Xylophagidae: 1, 5 Coenomyiidae: 1, 1 Rachiceridae: 1, 1 Stratiomyomorpha Stratiomyoidea Xylomyidae: 2, 8 Stratiomyidae: 27, 140 9.