• Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

• Arthropods (Phylum Arthropoda)

• Hexapods (Subphylum Hexapoda)

• Insects (Class Insecta)

• Winged and Once-winged Insects (Subclass Pterygota)

• Flies (Order (Diptera)

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Order Diptera comprises the true flies, one of the largest and most diverse orders of insects, with more than 160,000 described species and many thousands more yet to be discovered. Members of this order are distinguished by having a single functional pair of forewings, while the hindwings are modified into small balancing organs called halteres, which provide exceptional stability and maneuverability during flight. Dipterans occur in virtually every terrestrial and freshwater habitat on Earth, from tropical rainforests and deserts to alpine regions and wetlands.