Flies (order: Diptera)

The Diptera is the largest British order of insects: there are roughly 5,200 species in the British Isles alone. They range in size from minute midges to crane flies with wing spans of up to 60mm and are a vital part of nearly every ecosystem. Although we may have been taught to dislike flies, and view them as pests, this generalisation is rather unfair. It is true that a midge is responsible for the spread of Bluetongue in Britain, and that a mosquito bite can be rather painful, but there is nothing more complex and beautiful in nature than the compund eye of a fly, or the irridescent sheen of a Bluebottle. Before you next swat a buzzing fly, make sure you take a closer look, and you may even resist the urge to squash it!

The word Diptera means 'two-winged' and refers to the fact that flies have just two wings (there are also wingless species). The hind-wings are represented by two small pin-shaped structures known as haltares. These structures aid balance during flight.

All flies are liquid feeders and they utilise a very wide range of food materials. Many have piercing mouths for sucking blood and other body fluids, but most simply mop-up exposed liquids ranging from nectar to the fluid surrounding dung and rotting flesh!

Fly larvae are legless maggots, some with biting jaws, but others with virtually no jaws at all. Between them, they eat virtually anything from fungi to rotten wood, decaying flesh and dung. Many larvae are leaf miners and others induce gall-formation.

Hoverflies (family: Syrphidae)

Hoverflies are Diptera. The hoverflies are some of our most colourful and spectacular flies. There are over 250 species of hoverfly in Britain all of which have a remarkable hovering ability. Despite many species mimicing wasps and bees, they are totally harmless.

To view some of the most common species found in Britain click here.