Diptera

Diptera are a class of insects that includes about 2.5 million species. Representatives of this class are characterized by two pairs of wings. In terms of diversity and number of individuals on Earth, this is one of the most numerous classes of insects. Most representatives reach a length from 0.5 mm to 30 cm. They have a strong development of chitinous body cover, usually with a colored pattern. A distinctive feature of most representatives of the class is a pair of simple ocelli on the crown of the head.

The class includes various species of flies and mosquitoes, most of which, despite their small size, are parasites. Adults range in size from 1 mm in Tachinidae (long-whiskers) to approximately 25 cm in Bombyliinae (silkworms). Diptera also include a large number of mosquito species. However, the females of most mosquito species have larger wings than the males, and the males of many butterflies have smaller wings than the females. Diptera make up the majority of insects. The species of this order are very diverse in size (from microscopic to large): small cicadas, thin