Invertebrate Photographs - Diptera (true flies)

Feel free to use these photographs on any of your government, citizen or not-for-profit Web sites. I only ask that you credit this Web site page and acknowledge the name of the photographer in the alt tag. Please email us if you need higher resolution photos or permissions for other purposes. All photographs marked with ESC were taken at USEPA's Region 3 Environmental Science Center at Fort Meade, Maryland. Many thanks to Dave Russell, invertebrate biologist, for arranging the instruction and assistance with the use of the Olympus SZX12 miscroscope with an Olympus model DC330 optical mount. Other photos were taken under contract to EPA by EcoAnalysts, Inc.

Also see our pages on crane flies, black flies and midge flies for more information.

True Flies (Diptera)

Ceratopogonidae (Biting Midges)

Ceratopogonidae - photo by Wayne Davis USEPA

Biting midge
ESC

Biting midge
(note head capsule)
ESC

Probezzia sp. Ceratopogonidae - photo by Wayne Davis USEPA

Probezzia sp.
Note: stout setae on anal segment
ESC

Chironomidae

Culicidae (Mosquitos)

Mosquito (Culicidae)

Culicidae - photo by Wayne Davis USEPA
Mosquito (Culicidae)
(note siphon that extends out of the water and functions as a breathing tube)

Simuliidae (Black Flies) - see our indicator page on Black Flies and our draft taxonomic key on larval Black Flies (7pp, 4.16MB About PDF)

Simulium sp. Simuliidae - photo by Wayne Davis USEPA

Black fly
Simulium sp.
Simuliidae

Tipulidae (Crane Flies) - see our indicator page on Crane Flies

*Hexatoma sp.* Note: Swollen 7th abdominal segment. ESC	*Hexatoma sp.* Note: Retracted head capsule ESC	Crane fly (Tipulidae) (note head capsule partially exposed) ESC
*Dicranota sp.* ESC	*Dicranota sp.* Note: Prolegs ESC	*Dicranota sp.* extracted head capsule ESC
Dicranota sp.		Crane fly (Tipulidae)

Other Families

*Blepharicera sp.* Blephariceridae	*Dixa sp.* Dixidae	Dance fly pupa (Empedidae) (note pupal wing pads)
*Atherix sp.* Athericidae	Sciomyzidae	Chrysops sp. Tabanidae

Biological Indicators | Aquatic Biodiversity | Statistical Primer