CHAPTER XIX. 

 Order DlPTERA (Dip'te-ra). 



TJie Flies. 



The members of this order have only two wings ; these 

 are borne by the mesothorax. The metathorax is furnished 

 with a pair of knobbed threads, the halteres. The mouth- 

 parts are formed for sucking. The metamorphosis is com- 

 plete. 



To the order Diptera belong all insects that are properly 

 termed flies, and only these. The word "fly" forms a 

 part of many compound names of insects of other orders, 

 as butterfly, stone-fly, May-fly, and Chalcis-fly ; but when 

 used alone, it is correctly applied only to dipterous insects. 

 To some flies other common names have been applied, as 

 mosquito, gnat, and midge. 



The name Diptera is from two Greek words : dis, two, 

 and pteron, a wing. It was suggested by the fact that the 

 flies are distinguished by the possession of a single pair of 

 wings ; for no fly has more than two wings, and only a few 

 are wingless. 



The wings of flies are thin, membranous, and usually 

 either naked or clothed with microscopic hairs ; but with 

 mosquitoes the wings bear scales, and with the moth-like 

 flies (Psychodidse) and some others the clothing of hairs is 

 very conspicuous. The hind wings are represented by a 

 pair of knobbed threads, the halteres (hal-te'res) ; these can 

 be easily seen in a crane-fly (Fig. 482). The function of 



413 



