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We have two pairs of wings, and two halteres to help us to balance as we fly.
We undergo complete metamorphosis
Most of us have sucking mouths but some of us are good at piercing our prey or cutting our food.
There are about 7,100 different species of fly in the British Isles
Fly Families
Bee flies
Bombyliidae
Blowflies
Calliphoridae
Crane flies
Tipulidae
Gnats etc
Horseflies
Tabanidae
Hoverflies
Syrphidae
Parasitic flies
Tachinidae
Robber Flies
Asilidae
Snipe Flies
Rhagionidae
Soldier Flies
Stratiomyidae
Houseflies
Muscidae
Dung flies
Scathophagidae
When we think of flies we mostly think of the bothersome ones that spread germs.
For example, this blow fly. It has an interesting Latin name: Calliphora vomitoria.
It is a kind of blow fly or bluebottle.
Parasitic flies
Tachina fera
Houseflies and Blowflies
There are many other kinds of fly, some of them are attractive or unusual. See below for some examples of those found in the North Pennines AONB.
Hoverflies
Hoverflies are some of the most attractive kinds of fly. Many look a bit like wasps or mimic bees. They prefer sunny spots and are important pollinators for our wild flowers. If you see them hovering, they may be defending their territory.
Sericomya silentis
'Bog Hoverfly'
Volucella pellucans
'Great Pied' Hoverfly
Rhingia campestris
'Heineken' Hoverfly'
Eupeodes luniger
Common Spotted Field Hoverfly
Some insects we call flies are not true flies. They do not belong to the order diptera. For example, sawflies are classified with the hymenoptera order along with bees and wasps. Scorpion flies, alder flies and stoneflies all have orders of their very own.
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