BRIEF IDENTIFICATION GUIDE

1

PROMINENT WINGS

1. 2 wings, hind wings are modified into Halteres- Diptera

a. Large globular eyes, aristate antennae. Mouth parts sponging and sucking type.

Usually bulky bodied, but variations are there- Flies

i. Slender body, hovering (when alive), 1st/2nd abdominal segment having

T-shaped blackish mark- Syrphid flies [Hoverfly, drone fly]

ii. Bulky bodied with metallic green/blue body colour- Calliphorid fly

[Green bottle fly, Blue bottle fly]

iii. Very small, slender/slim bodied, metallic green coloured- Long-legged

fly [family- Dolichopodidae]

iv. Large fly with many large spine-like hairs covering the body- Tachinids

[family- Tachinidae]

v. More or less same as above but hairs are much smaller and less in

number. Thorax has dorsal 4 black lines- Flesh fly

b. Slender. Eyes are small. Mouth parts are thin needle-like, antennae are more or

less bushy- Mosquitoes and midges

Housefly Flesh fly

Tachinid

Hoverfly Drone fly

Green bottle fly

Blue bottle fly

Long-legged fly

Midge

BRIEF IDENTIFICATION GUIDE

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2. 4 wings - Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, Ephemeroptera, Neuroptera, Hemiptera (Sub-

order- Auchenorrhyncha, Sternorrhyncha)

a. Wings with scale, spirally coiled proboscis- Lepidoptera

i. Body less hairy- butterflies [except for Hesperidae (skipper, swift, bob

etc.) group]

ii. Body extremely hairy, pale in colour- Moths

b. Wings are membranous, without scale. Thorax and abdomen separated by

narrow waist- Hymenoptera

i. Body hairy- Bees

ii. Body not so hairy- Wasp

iii. Slender body. Winged/without wings. Elbowed antennae with long

scape. Pedicel petiolate- Ant

c. Four membranous wings, front wings larger than hind ones. Adomen with two

or three long filaments. No mouth parts- Ephemeroptera [Mayflies]

d. Similar to Ephemeroptera but wings are held over the abdomen. No abdominal

filaments- Neuroptera [Lacewings, Antlions, Owlflies]

Fig: Very brief Schematic Diagram of Ant

Hesperid butterfly Moth

Scape Flagellum/ Funiculus

Petiole

BRIEF IDENTIFICATION GUIDE

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e. Wings held roof-like over abdomen. Large head. Sucking, piercing mouth parts-

Hemiptera- Auchenorrhyncha, Sternorrhyncha [Hoppers, Aphids etc.]

MODIFIED WINGS

1. Four wings. 1st pair of wings hardened/ thickened completely forming Elytra. 1st pair is

as long as abdomen protecting the hind wings which are membranous. Abdomen

without forceps- Coleoptera [Beetles] 2. Similar to Coleoptera but with short thickened wing covers and with abdominal forceps-

Dermaptera [Earwigs]

Mayfly

Antlion Owlfly

Brown lacewing

Green lacewing

Leaf hopper

Tree hopper

Plant hopper

NOTE: If there are no forceps, but all are same as earwigs, then it is Rove Beetle [Order-

Coleoptera, Family- Staphylinidae]

Earwigs Rove beetle

Aphid (winged)

BRIEF IDENTIFICATION GUIDE

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3. Resembling Coleoptera, but the posterior half of the front thickened wings somewhat

translucent or thinner and with veins. They have sucking mouthparts- Hemiptera, Sub-

order- Heteroptera [True bugs]

4. Four wings, front ones somewhat thickened. Jumping hind legs. Hind wings, when

open, spread like fans- Orthoptera [Grasshoppers, crickets, katydids]

5. Wings similar to Orthoptera but they have grasping front legs instead of jumping hind

legs- Mantodea [Praying mantis/mantis/mantids]

Acanthocephala terminalis (Leaf-footed bug)

Leptocorisa varicornis

Cricket

Grasshoppers Katydid

Mantis

BRIEF IDENTIFICATION GUIDE

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6. Similar to Orthoptera but with flattened body, long antennae and no enlarged legs-

Blattodea [Cockroaches, termites]

Alate Termites

Cockroach & roaches

BRIEF IDENTIFICATION GUIDE

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HALTERE

HEMIPTERAN TONGUE

POLLEN BASKET

*Many information and photographs were taken from various websites

Abdominal Pollen Basket in Megachilid bee