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True Flies
(Class Insecta, Order Diptera)
Invertebrates Around Las Vegas, Wildlife Around Las Vegas
True Flies (Diptera)

General: Flies (Order Diptera) are a hugely diverse group of abundant flying creatures in the desert and mountains around Las Vegas. There are some 17,000 species of flies in North America with some thousands in the deserts.

True flies have a single pair of wings.

Most flies never bother humans, yet the human experience is with biting, blood sucking, garbage infesting flies. Look beyond these few species to learn about this biologically important group of animals.

Many groups of flies lay eggs in the water, and then the larvae live as aquatic creatures. Look for them around the edges of shallow ponds

Photo Family Species Around Las Vegas
Robber Flies (Family Asilidae) Asilidae Typical Robber Flies
Bee-like Robber Flies (Family Asilidae, Laphria spp.) Asilidae Bee-like Robber Flies (Laphria spp.)
Bee Flies (Bombyliidae) Bombyliidae Bee Flies
Greenbottle Fly (Diptera, Calliphoridae, Blow Flies) Calliphoridae Blow-flies (aka bottleflies, carrion flies)
midge larvae Chironomidae Midges
House Flies (Family Muscidae) Muscidae House Flies
Black Flies (Family Simuliidae) Simuliidae Black Fly Larvae
Tabanidae Tabanidae Western Horse Fly (Tabanus punctifer)
Tephritidae Tephritidae Fruit Fly
Craneflies (Family Tipulidae) Tipulidae

Crane Fly

Hover Flies (Family Syrphidae) Syrphidae Hover Flies
True Flies (Diptera)   Other Interesting Fly Species
Fly Larvae   Fly Larvae. Many fly larvae develop in water and other wet places, such as in this spring on a rockwall in southern Utah.
Flies (Order Diptera)   Lots and lots of flies!

Note: All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate.
copyright; Last updated 240221

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