Drone Fly (Eristalis tenax) is a common, medium-sized fly in the family Syrphidae (Hoverfly), in the order Diptera. It's common name "Drone Fly" came from the fact that it mimic drone honey bee. It feeds on nectar and is an important pollinator for a number of plants, particularly those having cluster flowers such as carrot, coriander and fennel. Its aquatic larva, known as rat-tailed maggot, breathe through a long, snorkel-like appendage. It lives in stagnant water, such as drainage ditches and sewage and feeds on decaying organic material.

The Citrus Whitefly (Dialeurodes citri) is a tiny white fly in the family Aleyrodidae. It is a mealy white insect with mealy white wings. Both sexes have two pairs of wings. The wingspan is less than 4 mm.
The citrus whitefly is an economically important pest of citrus. However it also feeds on other species of plants. It attacks the underside of the citrus tree's leaves, sucking sap from it which causes leaves to curl up and turn brown. The adult fly produces honeydew, a sweet by-product of digestion, upon which a sooty fungus grows that damages the fruit and foliage.

Owl-flies are dragonfly-like insects that form the family Ascalaphidae in the order Neuroptera (net-winged insects). They have large bulging eyes and long knobbed antennae and are about 50 mm long.  They are diurnal or crepuscular predators of other flying insects. Their predatory larvae are similar to antlion larvae, but do not build pits to capture prey, rather they lie on the ground or in vegetation, waiting for their prey. The thorax and abdomen of the larval body have finger-like appendage on the side of each segment. The larvae have large sickle-shaped mandibles, which are used to capture prey.

Owl-fly

Owl-fly

Owl-fly

Owl-fly Larva

Owl-fly Larva

Eupeodes corollae is a  species of hoverfly in the insect family Syrphidae (hoverflies or flower flies or syrphid flies). They are about 6–11 millimetres in body length. Their larvae which feed on aphids, are important biological control agent of aphids. The adult are important pollinators.

The lovebug (Plecia nearctica) is a member of the family Bibionidae (march flies). It is known by a number of common names including honeymoon fly, kissingbug, or double-headedbug. It is a small, black colored fly with a reddish-orange thorax. The adults feed on nectar during their brief lifespan. The larvae (maggots) feed on decaying plant material.

 These pictures are of an unknown Picture-Winged Fly,  I shot about two months back. I submitted it for identification to experts, but didn't get any reply yet. Picture-Winged Fly is a name used for all species in the family Ulidiidae. They are commonly found in moist places or on plants and flowers. Adults feed on nectar or fluids from decaying plant material. Larvae feed on dung and on decaying plant material. They got the name Pictures-winged Flies, because of the patterns of bands or spots on their wings.

Any identification help would be highly appreciated.

The Marsh Fly (Sepedon spinipes), also known as snail-killing fly, belongs to the family Sciomyzidae of the order Diptera. The names marsh fly and snail-killing fly are used for all the flies in the family Sciomyzidae.
Sepedon spinipes is about 8 mm long. It has brownish body color, bulgy eyes, prominent forward-pointing short antennae, and bristles on the upper hind leg.
They are known as snail-killing flies, because their larvae parasite on Gastropoda (slugs and snails). The adult marsh fly feeds on dew and nectar.

Black Scavenger Fly or Ensign Fly is a common name of flies in the family Sepsidae. There are about 150 species of Black Scavenger Flies. Many species resemble ants having a waist and glossy black body and that's why, they are commonly known as Ant Flies. They are usually found around animals excrement or decaying plants, where they lay eggs and then their larvae live in that material. Being decomposers of animal excrement, they play an important biological role.

The Drain Fly or Moth Fly is a common name used for the members of family Psychodidae, in the fly order Diptera. They are small, about 4mm long, moth like creatures, found in damp habitat. Its color varies from gray to dark gray. It got its name drain fly, because it grows in drains and the name moth fly, because of its moth like appearance. Drain fly is a nuisance in houses and buildings. It can also be found near the compost bins or dirty trash. It's also know as Bathroom Fly.

Today I'm presenting a few images of an unknown species of Long-Legged Fly found in our area. They can be easily find out on the upper surface of leaves, enjoying sunlight. The Long-Legged Flies or Dolichopodidae is a family of true flies in order, Diptera, consistes of more than 7,000 species. They are tiny flies with long legs and big eyes, having metallic green, blue or copper color bodies. These flies are predatory on smaller insects.

Drosophila melanogaster (Common Fruit Fly or Vinegar Fly) is a species of Diptera, in the family Drosophilidae. It has yellow-brown body, with multifaceted brick red eyes, a black striped abdomen and a pair of translucent wings. It has a body size 2.5-3mm long.
Some features like rapid life cycle, low chromosome numbers (4 chromosomes), small genome size and giant salivary gland chromosome made Drosophila Melanogaster a major model organism in genetic studies.

The embryo(egg), which is about half a millimeter long, completes its development within 24 hours and hatches into worm-like first instar larva that is specialized for feeding and grows dramatically. The larva molts 24 and 48 hours after hatching to produce second and third instar larvae. A mature larva is about 7-8 mm long.
About three days after the second molt, the third instar larva complete its growth, crawl out of food and pupate. The pupa on the average is 2mm long. Inside the pupa case the larva undergo a four-day-long metamorphosis, after which the fly emerges from pupa. The newly emerged flies are ready to mate in 8-12 hours.








This post is dedicated to Mr. Naveed Khan (my nephew) a student of M.Sc Genetics, Department of Genetics, Hazara University, Manshera, Pakistan, who introduce me to Drosophila Melanogaster and its raising techniques.