Dipterans owe their name to the Greek philosopher Aristotle, who noted 2,000 years ago that they have only two wings. He also accurately observed that no dipteran has a stinger at the tip of its abdomen.
It was formerly thought that the halteres on flies and mosquitoes helped the insects to balance. It appears, however, that these appendages actually convey information to the insects on their position in flight – something like a gyroscopic instrument.
Despite having only two wings, most dipterans fly fast and well. They can change direction very quickly, and some species beat their wings up to 2,000 items a second. Their highly developed flight muscles account for about one-third of the insect’s weight. In fact it is often the buzzing noise made by dipterans in flight that attracts our attention.
Many fly species have mouthparts modified to form a sort of sponge, through which they absorb their liquid or semi-liquid food (nectar, honeydew, decomposing matter, etc.).
The front legs of many dipterans serve as organs for tasting. The insects carefully clean them many times a day.