Canadian Medical Guide > Organisms > Animals > Invertebrates > Arthropods > Insects > Diptera Terms and Definitions
Diptera
Medical Definition: | An order of the class Insecta. Wings, when present, number two and distinguish Diptera from other so-called flies, while the halteres, or reduced hindwings, separate Diptera from other insects with one pair of wings. The order includes the families Calliphoridae, Oestridae, Phoridae, Sarcophagidae, Scatophagidae, Sciaridae, SIMULIIDAE, Tabanidae, Therevidae, Trypetidae, CERATOPOGONIDAE; CHIRONOMIDAE; CULICIDAE; DROSOPHILIDAE; GLOSSINIDAE; MUSCIDAE; TEPHRITIDAE; and PSYCHODIDAE.The larval form of Diptera species are called maggots (see LARVA). |
Guide Notes: | do not use /drug eff for insecticides; index caddisfly, dragonfly, mayfly & stonefly under INSECTS, FIREFLIES see BEETLES is available, sawfly & ichneumon fly under HYMENOPTERA; infestation by fly maggots = MYIASIS |
Ceratopogonidae - A family of biting midges, in the order DIPTERA. It includes the genus Culicoides which transmits filarial parasites pathogenic to man and other primates. | |
Chironomidae - A family of nonbiting midges, in the order DIPTERA. Salivary glands of the genus Chironomus are used in studies of cellular genetics and biochemistry. | |
Culicidae - A family of the order DIPTERA that comprises the mosquitoes. The larval stages are aquatic, and the adults can be recognized by the characteristic wing venation, the scales along the wing veins, and the long proboscis. Many species are of particular medical importance. | |
Drosophilidae - A family of the order DIPTERA. These flies are generally found around decaying vegetation and fruit. Several species, because of their short life span, giant salivary gland chromosomes, and ease of culturing, have been used extensively in studies of heredity. | |
Glossinidae - A family of the order DIPTERA that includes the TSETSE FLIES. These flies occur only in Africa. | |
Muscidae - A family of the order DIPTERA with over 700 species. Important species that may be mechanical vectors of disease include Musca domesticus (HOUSEFLIES), Musca autumnalis (face fly), Stomoxys calcitrans (stable fly), Haematobia irritans (horn fly) and Fannia spp. | |
Psychodidae - Small, hairy, moth-like flies which are of considerable public health importance as vectors of certain pathogenic organisms. Important disease-related genera are PHLEBOTOMUS, Lutzomyia, and Sergentomyia. | |
Simuliidae - Several species of the genus Simulium (family Simuliidae) that act as intermediate hosts (vectors) for the parasitic disease ONCHOCERCIASIS. | |
Tephritidae - A large family of fruit flies in the order DIPTERA, comprising over 4,500 species in about 100 genera. They have patterned wings and brightly colored bodies and are found predominantly in the tropical latitudes. |
Diptera Medical Definitions and Terms
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