True Flies

Mayflies

Caddisflies

Stoneflies

Scientific Name

Match	Scientific Name
	Diptera

This common name refers to only one order.

Insect Order Diptera

These are pretty much always called True Flies.

This incredibly diverse order holds tens of thousands of species. They are the "true flies" with two wings, and they have complete life cycles (larva to pupa to adult). Beyond that they have little in common.

The most important family is Chironomidae, the midges. The craneflies of Tipulidae and the related families may also be important, as may be several of the others in the right place and time.

Pedicia albivitta (Giant Eastern Crane Fly) True Fly Larva

View 9 Pictures

Collected March 29, 2005 from in
Added to Troutnut.com by on April 6, 2006

Chironomidae (Midges) Midge Pupa

View 3 Pictures

Collected January 14, 2004 from in
Added to Troutnut.com by on January 25, 2006

Male Stictochironomus Midge Adult

View 11 PicturesThis midge and several like it, including a female I also photographed, hatched from larvae which were living in some fine mud I'm using as substrate in my bug-rearing aquarium.

Collected April 10, 2007 from in
Added to Troutnut.com by on April 10, 2007

See 53 more specimens...

Jargon Defined:

Larva: Many classes of aquatic insects, such as caddisflies, midges, craneflies, dobsonflies, alderflies, and many more, are known as "larvae" rather than "nymphs" in their juvenile stages. They have mostly soft bodies rather than hard exoskeletons. These insects also advance through a "pupa" stage before reaching adulthood.

Pupa: Any insect which spends most of its juvenile lifetime as a larva first becomes a pupa for a time before emerging as a fully grown adult. Depending on the species, the pupal form can be very important for fly fishermen to imitate.