Diptera

Dip´te`ra

n. pl.

1.

(Zool.) An extensive order of insects having only two functional wings and two balancers, as the house fly, mosquito, etc. They have a suctorial proboscis, often including two pairs of sharp organs (mandibles and maxillæ) with which they pierce the skin of animals. They undergo a complete metamorphosis, their larvæ (called maggots) being usually without feet.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

Diptera - a large order of insects having a single pair of wings and sucking or piercing mouths; includes true flies and mosquitoes and gnats and crane flies order Diptera animal order - the order of animals class Hexapoda, class Insecta, Hexapoda, Insecta - insects; about five-sixths of all known animal species dipteran, dipteron, dipterous insect, two-winged insects - insects having usually a single pair of functional wings (anterior pair) with the posterior pair reduced to small knobbed structures and mouth parts adapted for sucking or lapping or piercing Cecidomyidae, family Cecidomyidae - gall midges Muscoidea, superfamily Muscoidea - two-winged flies especially the families: Muscidae; Gasterophilidae; Calliphoridae; Tachinidae family Muscidae, Muscidae - two-winged flies especially the housefly fly - two-winged insects characterized by active flight family Glossinidae, Glossinidae - flies closely related to the Muscidae: tsetse flies Calliphoridae, family Calliphoridae - blowflies family Tachinidae, Tachinidae - parasites on other insects family Gasterophilidae, Gasterophilidae - horse botflies Cuterebridae, family Cuterebridae - New World botflies family Hypodermatidae, family Oestridae, Hypodermatidae, Oestridae - warble flies family Tabanidae, Tabanidae - horseflies Bombyliidae, family Bombyliidae - bee flies Asilidae, family Asilidae - robber flies family Trephritidae, family Trypetidae, Trephritidae, Trypetidae - fruit flies; some leaf miners Drosophilidae, family Drosophilidae - fruit flies family Hippoboscidae, Hippoboscidae - winged or wingless dipterans: louse flies genus Haematobia, Haematobia - European genus of bloodsucking flies Nematocera, suborder Nematocera - mosquitoes; fungus gnats; crane flies; gnats; sand flies family Simuliidae, Simuliidae - blackflies and sand flies