ORDER DIPTERA

True flies are insects of the order Diptera, possessing a single pair of wings on the mesothorax and a pair of halteres,
derived from the hind wings, on the metathorax. The presence of a single pair of wings distinguishes true
flies from other insects with "fly" in their name, such as mayflies, dragonflies, damselflies, stoneflies, whiteflies,
fireflies, alderflies, dobsonflies, snakeflies, sawflies, caddisflies, butterflies,calliphorid flys or scorpionflies.

Diptera is a large order, containing an estimated 240,000 species of mosquitos, gnats, midges and
others, although under half of these (about 120,000 species) have been described. It is one of the major
insect orders both in terms of ecological and human (medical and economic) importance.

The text above is from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia and is licensed under the GFDL.

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