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Table of the Higher Groups

Antennae conspicuous, inserted at upper end of the face, sometimes many-jointed, proboscis usually furnished with terminal lips, body rather soft and brittle, legs approximated, wings usually present and frequently furnished with a discal cell; adults oviparous or larviparous, never in all their stages living externally on mammals, birds nor honey bees (Suborder PROBOSCIDEA)

Antennae usually inconspicuous, commonly inserted near the middle of the sides of the face, and composed of from one to three joints, the apex furnished with a style or bearing several long bristly hairs, proboscis never furnished with terminal lips, body integument tough and leathery, legs on one side of the body usually widely separated from those on the other side, wings, when present, never furnished with a discal cell; adults pupiparous, living externally upon mammals, birds or honey bees (Suborder EPROBOSCIDEA)

Suborder PROBOSCIDEA Latr.

1--Discal cell, when present, usually furnished with three veins that extend to the wing-margin; frequently four or five posterior cells are present, the third vein sometimes forked; if the second basal and discal cells are confluent the color of the body is usually metallic greenish or the antennal style is usually apical, antennae sometimes composed of more than three joints; head of the larva of a firm texture and definite shape, pupa not inclosed in the old larval skin, or if inclosed this never forms a hard, cylindrical puparium the pupa or the imago issuing through a longitudinal and transverse fissure (Section Orthorhapha).

Discal cell, when present, never furnished with more than two veins; never more than three posterior cells are present, the third vein never forked; when the second basal cell is confluent with the discal the color of the body is never metallic green; antennae never more than three-jointed, the terminal joint usually furnished with a slender arista which is generally dorsal, empodium bristle-like or wanting; head of the larva soft and mobile except the mandibles, the pupa inclosed in the hardened skin of the larva, which is ruptured circularly near the anterior end during the emergence of the imago (Section Cyclorhapha).

Section ORTHORHAPHA Brauer.

2--Joints of antennae more than three in number; the last one seldom furnished with a slender style or arista; antennae and legs usually very long and slender; body also usually slender, and rather delicate (Subsection Nemocera).

Joints of antennae never more than three in number; the terminal one much longer than the others and frequently annulate, sometimes furnished with a jointed style or arista; antennae and legs usually short and robust; body often elongated (Subsection Brachycera).

Subsection NEMOCERA Latr.

3--Antennae usually long and slender, the joints usually longer than broad, and nearly always provided with verticels of bristly hairs, the structure frequently very different in the opposite sexes of the same species; eyes seldom broadly contiguous above the antennae in either sex, sometimes narrowly contiguous above and below the antennae, the facets of a uniform size and not separated by a transverse line into an upper and a lower portion; body usually slender and elongate, pulvilli wanting (Super-family Tipuloidea).

Antennae rather short, never furnished with verticels of bristly hairs, of the same structure in both sexes, eyes frequently broadly contiguous above the antennae, but always separated below it, pulvilli frequently well developed, body rather robust (Super-family Bibionoidea). . . . . 11

Super-family TIPULOIDEA Coq.

4--Thorax never furnished with a distinct V-shaped groove near the middle of the upper side, discal cell always wanting. . . . . 5

Thorax furnished with such a groove, discal cell usually present, mostly large flies, some of them the largest in this subsection; crane-flies. . . . . Family Tipulidae.

5--Last subdivision of the veins which reach the wing-margin at least nine in number, hind margin of the wings encompassed by a vein, tibiae never furnished with a pair of spurs at that apex of the inner side. . . . . 6

Last subdivision of the veins which reach the wing-margin not more than eight in number, tibiae sometimes furnished with a pair of terminal spurs. . . . . 8

6--Veins of the wings bearing long hairs or scales . . . . . 7

Veins bare, in the outer half of the wing three of the veins are forked and there are two cross-veins; rather large and rare flies . . . . . Family Dixidae.

7--Wings long and slender, the veins and body bearing flattened scales; mosquitoes . . . . . Family Culicidae.

Wings usually broad, like the body covered with long hairs; small, moth-like flies . . . . . Family Psychodidae.

8--First two veins never coalescing and then separating into four branches . . . . . 9

First two veins near their bases coalescing for a considerable distance and then separating into four branches, the remaining vein forked; rather small, very rare flies . . . . . Family Stenoxenidae.