1. Mandibles moving against one another in a horiontal or oblique plane; head capsule usually complete and fully exposed except retracted and reduced in Tipulidae (NEMATOCERA). . . . . . 2
Mandibles or mouth hooks moving parallel to one another in a vertical plane; head capsule variously reduced posteiorly; partially or almost completely retracted within thorax even if suc retracted portions comprise only a few slender rods (Brachycera) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2. Head capsule partially to fully retracted within thorax; usually with longitudinal incisions of varing depths dorsolaterally; in extreme cases head consisting only of several slender rods; respiratory system metapneustic or apneustic; posterior spiracles usually boreered by 1-3 or 5-7 pairs of sort lobes that are often fringed with short to very long hairs. . . . . . . . . . Tipuloidea
Head capsule complete, usually without longitudinal incisions of varying depths dorsolaterally, completely exserted; respiratory system ampipneustic; metapneustic, or apneustic; posterior spiracles usually without bordering fringed lobes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
3. Head not distinctly separated from thorax; body divided iinot 6 major divisions, the 1st comprising te fused heae, thorax, and 1st abdominal segment; each of these divisions with a median suctorial disc ventrally. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Blepariceridae (not reported for Ohio)
Head showing a distinct constrictive separation form the thorax; suctorial discs asent (ventral friction pads present in Psychodidae). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
4. Abdomen terminating in a slender, respitory siphon that when fully exserted is nearly as long as the body. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ptychopteridae
Not having the above characters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
5. Thoracic segments fused and indistinctly differentiated, forming a single segment that is wider than any of abdominal segments; thoracic and abdominal segments with prominent, lateral fanlike tufts of long setae; and/or anal division with a setal fan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Thoracic segments usually individually distinguishable; thorax and abdomen about equal in diameter or abdomen wider; setae on thoracic and abdominal segments not tufted and anal division without setal fan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
6. Antennae prehensile (grasping), with long apical setae; mouth brushes absent . .Chaoboridae
Antennae not prehensile and with only short apical setae; prominent mouth burshes present on either side of labrum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Culicidae
7. Paired chrochet-bearing prolegs ventrally on 1st and usually 2nd abdominal segments s; anal division with 2 flattened dorsolateral postspiraclar lobes having setose (hair-covered) margins projecting above conical, dorsally sclerotized segment bearing the terminal anus and anal papillae. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dixidae
Abdominal segments without prolegs, except on anal division; anal division without flattened, fringed postspiracular lobes and a conical, dorsally sclerotized anal division. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
8. Prothorax with 1 proleg or a pair of prolegs ventrally. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Prothorax lacking prolegs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
9. Head capsule usually with a pair of conspicuous, folding labral fans dorsolaterally; abdominal segments 5-8 swollen, poeterior segment terminatiing in a ring or circlet of numerous radiating rows of minute hooks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Simuliidae
Head capsule lacking labral fans; posterior abdominal segments not conspicuously swollen nor with radiating rows of hooks terminally, although anal proleg(s) bearing crochets may be present. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
10. All body segments dorsally with prominent tubercles (elevated fleshy processes). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ceratopogonidae(in part)
Body segments lacking prominent dorsal tubercles and setae. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chironomidae
11. Last 2 abdominal segments with long filamentous prodesses, pairs of such processes arising laterally on the next to last segment, dorsolaterally on the anal division and from near the apex of 2 elongate cylindraical prolegs that project posteroventrally from the anal division. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tanyderidae, Protoplasa fitchii
Posterior adominal segments without long filamentous processes; at most only a single proleg present. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
12. All body segments secondarily divided into 2 or 3 subdivisions withsome or all of these subdivisions bearing dorsal sclerotized plates; remainder of integument with numerous dark spots that together with the dorsla plates impart a greyish brown coloration to larva; respiratory system amphipneustic; posterior spiracles usually at apex of a relatively short, conical respiratory tube. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Psychodidae
Body segments usually not seondariy divided; integument smooth, shiny, and creamy white, lacking all surface features except a few setae that may be noticable at the tip of anal division, and sometimes a retractile anal proleg bearing a few crochets (curved hooks); larvae apneustic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ceratopogonidae(in part)
13. Sclerotized portions of head capsule exposed externally although sometime greatly reduced, in which case slender tentorial and metacephalic rods prominent internally. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Orthorrhaphous-Brachycera. 14
External sclerotized portions of head capsule absent; head reduced to an internal cephalopharyngeal skeleton of rather characteristic form. Cyclorrhaphous -Brachycera. 18
14. Body somewhat depressed; integument toughened and leathery from calcium deposits that are evident as nuerous small reticulatedly arranged facets; head capsule capable of only slight independent movement; ususally with distinctive lateral eye promineces. . . . . . Stratiomyidae
Larva usually not conspicuously depressed nor with toughened integument bearing a network of facets; head capsule capable of extensive independent movement; without distinctive eye prominences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
15. Head capsule well developed dorsally, closed ventrally by a submental plate; tentorial rods solidly fused with head capsule internally; a brush of backwardly curved bristles usually present on each side of clypeus above and near base of each mandible. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Head capsule reduced to a pair of slender metacephalic rods; they and tentorial rods flexibly articulate with anterior cephalic sclerites; submental plate and brushes of bristles above mandibles absent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
16. Posterior spiracles present, opening within slits on either side of a vertically linear stigmatal bar or a retractile, laterally compressed spine; body integument eiht longitudinal striations, except in some species where integument totally covered by short, velvety pubescence; first 7 abdominal segments girdled by 3 or 4 pairs of fleshy creeping welts (setae-bearing swellings) or prolegs, tase being the only projections from the segments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tabanidae
Posterior spiracles greatly reduced or situated within a small terminal cavity; integument without striations or extensive covering of pubescence; prolegs, if present, limited to 1-2 ventral pairs on each abdominal segment. Larvae with slender lateral and dorsolateral tubercles on
abdominal segments increasing in length posteriorly; two longer tubercles, fringed with hairs, on anal division; abdoominal segmenta 1-7 each with pair of short, broad prolegs, shorter than half width of body. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Athericidae, Atherix lantha17. Larva metapneustic; posterior spiracles situated at the base of upper 2 of 4 smooth primary lobes of anal division; transverse ventral creeping welts present on abdominal segments; metacephalic rods expanded posteriorly. . . . . . . . . . . . . Dolichopodidae, Hydrophorus sp.
Larva usually apneustic, anal division with 1-4 rounded lobes bearing apical setae, and abdominal segments bearing paired prolegs with apical crochets; if metapneustic, then anal division with only a single lobe below spiracles, and abdominal segments with ventral creeping welts; metacehphalic rods slender posteriorly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Empididae
18. Posterior spiracular plates fused or very closely approximated, usually on apex of a telescopic respiratory tube. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Syrphidae
Posterior spiracular plates always distinctly separated whether mounted on a telescopic
respitory tube or not . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1919. Anal division somewhat tapered, usually ending in an elongae retractile respitory tube that lacks dorsal tubercles; integument of posterior abdominal segments covered with setae or spinules, or with setaceous (setae-bearing) tubercles on some segments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ephydridae
Anal division rather truncate (cut off squarely), either with short respitory tube or basally fused conical spiracular prominences, each bearing a dorsal tubecle; integument with setae only on intersegmental areas; setaceous tubercles, if present, restricted to anal division. Cephalopharyngeal skeleton with accessory oral sclerite below mouth hooks. . . . . . . . Muscidae
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