African Arthropods/Diptera

Diptera is a large order of insects, comprising the two-winged flies. Species from 108 families of Diptera are known in the Afrotropical realm. These families are covered in the Manual of Afrotropical Diptera; the first three volumes of this four-volume project have been published, with the fourth volume expected in 2024. The first three volumes can be accessed at these sites: The Natural History Museum: Manual of Afrotropical Diptera; and the SANBI Repository (Volume 1; Volume 2; Volume 3).

The following cladogram is based on the FLYTREE project.

Nematocera

Ptychopteromorpha - Ptychopteridae (phantom crane flies), Tanyderidae - (primitive crane-flies)     Culicomorpha - Culicoidea (midges and mosquitoes), Chironomoidea (midges and black flies)         Blephariceromorpha - Blephariceridae (net-winged midges), Deuterophlebiidae (mountain midges), Nymphomyiidae       Bibionomorpha (gnats)       Psychodomorpha (drain flies, sand flies, etc)       w:Tipuloidea (crane flies)   Brachycera Tab   Stratiomyomorpha (soldier flies, etc)       Xylophagomorpha (stink flies, etc)     Tabanomorpha (horse flies, snipe flies, etc)       Mus   w:Nemestrinoidea       w:Asiloidea (robber flies, bee flies, etc)   Ere   w:Empidoidea (dance flies, etc)   Cyc   Aschiza (in part)       w:Phoroidea (flat-footed flies, etc)       w:Syrphoidea (hoverflies)   Sch Cal   w:Hippoboscoidea (louse flies, etc)       w:Muscoidea (house flies, dung flies, etc)     w:Oestroidea (blow flies, flesh flies, etc)         Acalyptratae (marsh flies, etc)

Abbreviations used in the cladogram:

• Cal=Calyptratae
• Cyc=Cyclorrhapha
• Ere=Eremoneura
• Mus=Muscomorpha
• Sch=Schizophora
• Tab=Tabanomorpha