Order Diptera - Flies

Collaboration between US Army and Smithsonian. HUGE resource for images, keys, and for digitized books and articles about mosquitoes and other medically important insects.

pdf file of Tachinidae chapter from Manual of Nearctic Diptera, volume 2 (1987), which is apparently out of print.

"This chapter reviews the morphology, biology, hosts, behavior, classification, and distribution of the Tachinidae of America north of Mexico. An illustrated key to the tachinid genera of the region is provided, with many taxonomic and nomenclatural changes to the family included in footnotes".

pdf file - way over my head - a technical paper that revises the Empidoidea. However, I thought that it might be useful for Bug Guide as there is an illustrated key to the families and some of the genera of these flies. All of the figures/illustrations are at the end of this paper after the references.

"...All morphological characters are extensively discussed and illustrated, including details of the
antennae, mouthparts, internal thoracic structures, wings, and male and female terminalia. In
addition, a key to families and unplaced genus groups of the Empidoidea is provided. Feeding

Interesting looking project to create a guide for Ontario's syrphids. Publication of the booklet is expected in 2006.