Flies
Order Diptera
The Flies (Order Diptera) includes 6,350 species across 141 families and 1,800 genera in our directory.
About Flies
Diptera includes over 150,000 described species of flies, mosquitoes, and midges. Mosquitoes are the deadliest animal on Earth (CDC). Malaria alone causes ~249 million cases and over 608,000 deaths annually, mostly children under 5 (WHO). Vector-borne diseases account for over 17% of all infectious diseases, causing 700,000+ deaths per year.
Economic Impact
In the U.S., vector-borne disease cases tripled between 2004-2016, with over 640,000 cases reported in that period (CDC). Tickborne diseases doubled from 22,000 to 48,000 annual reports. Globally, mosquito-borne diseases cost billions in healthcare and lost productivity.
Ecological Role
Despite their disease impact, flies are critical decomposers and pollinators. Hoverflies alone pollinate hundreds of crop and wildflower species. Flies are also the primary food source for many birds, bats, and fish. Forensic entomology relies heavily on fly species for crime scene analysis.
Families in Diptera (141)
Species in Diptera (6,350)
Yellow Starthistle Gall Fly
Urophora sirunaseva
Yellow-Fly
Diachlorus ferrugatus
Yellow-faced Fly
Tachina grossa
Yellow-haired Hammertail
Efferia rapax
Yellow-horned Micropanther
Atomosia mucida
Yellow-legged Dunerobber
Laphystia flavipes
Yellow-legged Micropanther
Atomosia sayii
Yellow-legged Pixie
Leptogaster flavipes
Yellow-legged Prospector
Ablautus flavipes
Yellow-legged Water-snipefly
Atherix ibis
Yellow-lobed Pufftail
Sphegina lobata
Yellow-spotted Bromeliad Fly
Copestylum avidum
Yellow-spotted Pond Fly
Sericomyia transversa
Yellow-veined Twigsitter
Holopogon seniculus
Yellow-waisted Laphria
Laphria sacrator
Yellowjacket Fly
Spilomyia longicornis
Yosemite Bandit
Cyrtopogon sudator
Zabrachia magnicornis
Zabrachia magnicornis
Zabrachia polita
Zabrachia polita
Zabrops flavipilis
Zabrops flavipilis
Zabrops tagax
Zabrops tagax
Zabrops wilcoxi
Zabrops wilcoxi
Zacompsia fulva
Zacompsia fulva
Zavrelimyia bifasciata
Zavrelimyia bifasciata
Zelia gracilis
Zelia gracilis
Zelia metalis
Zelia metalis
Zelia nitens
Zelia nitens
Zelia ruficauda
Zelia ruficauda
Zeros flavipes
Zeros flavipes
Zodion americanum
Zodion americanum
Zodion fulvifrons
Zodion fulvifrons
Zodion intermedium
Zodion intermedium
Zodion obliquefasciatum
Zodion obliquefasciatum
Zodion pictulum
Zodion pictulum
Zonosemata vittigera
Zonosemata vittigera
Zygoneura calthella
Zygoneura calthella
black-striped cranefly
Tipula vernalis
brown heath robberfly
Tolmerus cingulatus
bumblebee robberfly
Laphria flava
four-spotted cranefly
Nephrotoma quadrifaria
intrudens complex
Dasysyrphus intrudens
kite-tailed robberfly
Tolmerus atricapillus
mealybug-destroying predaceous gall midge
Dicrodiplosis californica
metallic-green tomato fly
Lamprolonchaea brouniana
mutata/duplomutata group
Stegopterna mutata
orange-marked cranefly
Ptychoptera contaminata
outhouse fly
Sylvicola neozelandicus
possibly Epalpus rufipes
Epalpus rufipes
sunflower seed midge
Neolasioptera helianthi
white-legged cranefly
Ptychoptera albimana