Diptera

• Soldier flies


  Stratiomyidae

  • Empodium pulvilli-form (tarsi with 3 pads)
  • Small squareish cell in wing centre; costa ending at wing apex

  
• Horse and deer flies


  Tabanidae

  • Empodium pulvilli-form (tarsi with 3 pads)
  • Fork of R4+5 wide

  
• Snipe flies


  Rhagionidae

  • Empodium pulvilli-form (tarsi with 3 pads)
  • Slender
  • Fork of R4+5 narrow

  
• Flower flies


  Syriphidae

  • Empodium bristle-like or absent (tarsi with 2 pads)
  • Vein that trails off on wing

  
• Phorid flies


  Phoridae

  • Empodium bristle-like or absent (tarsi with 2 pads)
  • Wing veins crowded and thickened anterobasally; small humpbacked flies

  
• Robber flies


  Asilidae

  • Mustache (mystax present)
  • Vertex distinctly excavated between eyes

  
• Big-headed flies


  Pipunculidae

  • Vertex is usually not deeply concave; face without mystax
  • Head strongly hemispherical; eyes huge; arista dorsal; tiny flies

  
• Bee flies


  Bombyliidae

  • CuA2 absent or joining A far from wing margin (anal cell short or absent)
  • Head usually not strongly hemispherical with huge eyes; arista anterior; size variable

  
• Long-legged flies and Dance flies

  Empidoidea

  • Head usually not strongly hemispherical with huge eyes; arista anterior; size variable
  • CuA2 absent or joining A far from wing margin (anal cell short or absent)

  
• House flies and kin

  Muscoidea

  • Second antennal segment with complete longitudinal seam; greater ampulla present; vibrissa well-developed
  • Meron without a row of bristles

  
• Tachnid flies


  Tachinidae

  • Subscutellum strongly developed
  • Meron with a row of bristles

  
• Blow flies


  Calliphoridae

  • Meron with a row of bristles
  • Arista usually plumose beyond basal half; metallic or thorax with silky yellowish hairs

  
• Flesh flies


  Sarcophagidae

  • Arista usually bare distally; not metallic, usually grey and black stripes
• Winter crane flies


  Trichoceridae

  • Top of thorax v shaped
  • With ocelli

  
• Crane flies


  Tipulidae

  • No ocelli
  • Top of thorax v-shaped

  
• Moth flies


  Psychodidae

  • Broadly oval wings
  • Wings and body with thick hairs

  
• Mosquitoes


  Culicidae

  • Wings and body with thick hairs and scales

  
• March flies


  Bibionidae

  • Short, thick antennae found below head

  
• Black flies


  Simuliidae

  • Short humpbacked flies
  • Antenna near middle of eyes
  • No hairs on body

  
• Midges


  Chironomidae

  • Long, slender antennae or plumose
  • Large postnotum with longitudinal groove

  
• Gall flies


  Cecidomyiidae

  • 3 veins on wing
  • Small postnotum

  
• Biting midges


  Ceratopogonidae

  • Tibial spurs
  • 3 veins on wing
  • Biting mouthparts

  
• Dark-winged fungus gnats


  Sciaridae

  • Eyes meeting above antennae

  *typically darker than fungus gnats in lab box

  
• Fungus gnats


  Mycetophilidae

  • Eyes do not meet above antenna
  • Large tibial spurs

  
• Flesh fly


  Sarcophagidae

  • Arista usually bare distally; not metallic, usually grey and black stripes