Preface

Diptera, or true flies, are of considerable economic importance. Pestiferous groups can have significant effects on agriculture, animal and human health, and forestry. Other groups can be a general nuisance when present in large numbers or because of allergic reactions due to detached body setae. Despite these negative effects, flies have a valuable role as scavengers, parasitoids and predators of other insects, pollinators, food for predators, bio-indicators of water quality, and tools for scientific research. The basic features of Diptera are the presence of an anterior pair of wings and a posterior pair of club-like balancing organs called halteres.

This book presents a beautiful and useful account of research on Diptera. It is an indispensable resource for entomologists, biologists, and naturalists.

Chapter 1 explores aspects of the biology, ecology, physiology, behavior, taxonomy, and morphology of Diptera. Life histories, habits and habitats, diversity, classification and phylogeny, and detailed keys and diagrams for the correct identification of the more common species of flies are particularly useful sections. All of the world's fly families are included, ranging from common deer flies and fruit flies to deadly tsetse flies and mosquitoes. The illustrated keys linked to the coverage of the world's fly families and subfamilies enable the reader to identify most flies quickly and accurately. This chapter also focuses on strategies for involving the wider community in the control of these pests and development of control programs.

Chapter 2 reviews systematics and taxonomy of the parasitic larvae of *Philornis downsi* Dodge and Aitken (Diptera: Muscidae). It discusses shifts in feeding habits across the species, comparing basal to more recently evolved groups, as well as examines the differences in the ontogeny of wild and captive *P. downsi* larvae, describes what is known about adult *P. downsi* behavior, and discusses changes in *P. downsi* behavior first discovered in Darwin's finch nest.

Chapter 3 on life cycle and cytogenetic study of the mosquito *Culex quinquefasciatus* Say is especially good for evolutionary and genetic studies involving chromosomal polymorphism.

Chapter 4 highlights important information about the yellow fever mosquito *Aedes aegypti* (Diptera: Culicidae) and the identification and quantification of the main breeding sites for this vector. In addition, this chapter compares the characteristics and similarities of the *Aedes* species.

Chapter 5 characterizes the proliferation sites of *Ae. aegypti* in artificial breeding sites in order to examine new strategies for controlling these mosquitoes.

Chapter 6 is on post-embryonic development of *Aedes* (*Stegomyia*) *aegypti* at different temperatures and Co2 concentrations, and their influences on hatching and development of stabilized population.

Chapter 7 provides evidence and data on the bio-ecology of the blossom midge of jasmine, *Contarinia maculipennis* Felt (Cecidomyiidae) in different jasminum cultivars.

**Chapter 1**

**Abstract**

and public alike.

**1. Introduction**

control while flying.

*Muhammad Sarwar*

Typical Flies: Natural History,

Lifestyle and Diversity of Diptera

The Order Diptera, comprising of two-winged or true flies, is one of the most commonly recognized and widespread insects all over the world. During their long evolutionary history, virtually every terrestrial and aquatic niche has been occupied by Diptera, thus making these one of the most successful groups of organisms on earth. The main purpose of this chapter is to provide modern, well-illustrated and easily interpretable information for economic importance, life histories, habits and habitats, lifestyles, diversity, identifying and studying, pharmaceutical and industrial applications, ecological and human services, pests and vectors of diseases, predators and herbivores, pollination and biological control agents, association with carcasses, forensic science, phylogeny and classification of Diptera. Without doubt, this fragment of book provides the basics for understanding diversity of a major order of insects and is the first such synopsis of its kind for scientists

The so-called true flies are one of the utmost important groups of insects in the order Diptera. The name Diptera, is derived from the Greek words '*di'* meaning two and '*ptera*' hereby meaning wings, which refers to the fact that true flies have only a single pair of wings (two wings). This is distinguishing character because other insects have either two pairs of wings or four wings. Diptera's ancestors also have four wings, but in dipteran insects, second pair of wings is evolved into halteres, which are modified balancer organs that give to insect an amazing amount of fine

Many winged insects, such as the butterfly and whitefly, contain the word 'fly' in their names, but are not dipterans, and the name is strictly applicable only to members of Diptera. There is an accepted custom for writing the common names of insects, which have included the word 'fly'. When any name is for a group of insects other than Diptera, it is written as single word (mayfly, dragonfly, and stonefly). But, if an insect belongs to Diptera order and word 'fly' is included, the name is written as double words (horse fly, black fly, crane fly). Diptera is one of the largest

insect orders and quite diverse with its numbers more than 125,000 species worldwide. Our world's score of more than 152,000 described species within more

than 130 known families is based primarily on figures extracted from the

'BioSystematic Database of World Diptera' [1].

**Keywords:** flies, vectors, pests, ecosystem engineer, forensics

Chapter 8 reviews in detail the current status of Diptera phylogenetics as well as key aspects of the morphology of the different life stages of true flies, which is useful for taxonomic purposes and for understanding the group's biology.

Finally, the last chapter examines information important to forensic entomology, particularly how common flies colonize a dead body. This chapter should be of particular interest to clinicians and forensic entomologists to translate the developmental cycle of flies into usable data for assessing crime scenes.

I am greatly indebted to the all authors who have contributed meaningfully to the success of this work in every regard. I am thankful to each of them for manifold help received at all stages of the work and for materially aiding in the preparation of the book.

My grateful thanks are due to my children Haroon, Farhan, Sidra, Zain-ul-Abideen, and Fatima, as well as my spouse Najma. I also wish to thank my late parents and my brothers and sisters, who are a source of pleasure, inspiration, and encouragement.

All admirations and gratefulness are to almighty Lord of the universe 'Allah' (the one and only God), who is creator, judge, rewarder, unique and inherently one. Allah is the pivot of faith, never sleeps or tires, and perceives and reacts to feelings of every creature and everything through the omnipresence of his divine knowledge. Respect is due to 'Muhammad' who is the last and final greatest Messenger or Prophet in a chain of Messengers and Prophets sent by Allah. Muhammad's sayings, manners, actions, decisions and practices that Muhammad approved, allowed or condoned during lifetime serve as a model for humanity to shape the life in that light to be successful in this world and in the life hereafter.

> **Muhammad Sarwar** National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Pakistan
