Lecture 5 - Insects: Diptera part 1

Question 1

What is the Order that contains flies? What are the three sub-orders of this that we are interested in?

Answer 1

Order: Diptera

Suborders: Nematocera, Brachycera, Cyclorrhapha

Question 2

True or false - larvae and pupae of Nematocerads are aquatic.

Answer 2

True, though some can make it in a highly moist environment such as dung.

Question 3

What are the four families of the Nematocera we are interested in?

Answer 3

Ceratopogonidae, Simuliidae, Psychodidae, Culicidae

Question 4

Match the sub-order of Diptera to its wings and antennae.

Answer 4

Top = Nematocera

Middle = Brachycera

Bottom = Cyclorrhapha

Question 5

What is the likely Order, Suborder, Family and Genus of this creature. How did you know?

Answer 5

Order: Diptera - is an insect, and has wings

Suborder: Nematocera - has thin wings, thin antennae
Family - Ceratopogonidae - has spotty wings

Genus - Culicoides - this is the main genus we learned about.

Question 6

You are working in QLD and are called to see a horse. He has these lesions. What is one organism that could have caused this (order, sub-order, family, genus, species), which stage of the organism’s life cycle is responsible and what advice do you give the owner?

Answer 6

Order: Diptera
Suborder: Nematocera
Family: Ceratopogonidae
Genus: Culicoides
Species: C. brevitarsis

Adult stage (fly) is responsible - get hypersensitivity reaction to its bites

Stable horse to prevent exposure to fly

Question 7

Which economically-significant virus of sheep is transmitted by introduced species of the Culicoides genus?

Answer 7

Bluetongue - C. brevitarsis and C. wadai

Question 8

What are the two main genera in the family Simuliidae? What kinds of flies are in this family?

Answer 8

Simulium, Austrosimulium - blackflies

Question 9

What is the Order, Suborder, and Family of this creature? How did you know?

Answer 9

Diptera, Nematocera, Simuliidae.

• THIN wings, petite body so nematocera.
• plain wings (no pattern or fur) so Simuliidae

Question 10

What are the two important genera of this Family?

Answer 10

is Simuliidae >> Simulium and Austrosimulium

Question 11

What is the most important consequence of S. pestilens in Australia?

Answer 11

Vector for Onchocerca gutturosa which confers economic losses for both dairy and beef cattle.

Question 12

What family is this fly from? Which of its morphological features help you? What is the most important genus of this family in Australia and why?

Answer 12

Suborder Nematocera, Psychodidae - know because has furry wings which are thin in shape, and thin antennae.
Sergentomyia is most important in AU - currently only recorded on reptiles and amphibians though may be responsible for Leishmaniasis detected in kangaroos (climate change, new niche)

Question 13

What is the Family that contains mosquitos? What is the over-arching Sub-order?

Answer 13

Culicidae, of Nematocera

Question 14

What are the three important genera in Culicidae?

Answer 14

Aedes, Anopheles, Culex

Question 15

Name three diseases Culicidae family members might be vectors for.

Answer 15

Yellow fever, equine encephalitis, dengue, Ross River etc

Question 16

How do you control for members of the Culicidae family?

Answer 16

Repellent, remove breeding sites (standing water)

Question 17

What Sub-order and Family would this creature belong to? How do you know?

Answer 17

Suborder: Brachycera

• fat body
• fat wings
• big

Family: Tabanidae

• only family we learned about :)

Question 18

What are the consequences of Tabanidae parasitism? Can you name the two important genera in AU?

Answer 18

Irritation (very painful bite), blood loss and vectors for disease including trypanosome, anthrax, some nematodes and viruses

Tabanus and Chrysops