DIPTERA (FLIES)

Collection Holdings | Onsite Diptera Links | Personnel |

The Diptera collection is considered one of the strongest segments of the Canadian National Collection of Insects. Over two million fly specimens are housed in over 4600 drawers, alcohol and slide cabinets, making it one of the largest Diptera collections in the world. Approximately 65% of the collection is curated to the level of species or species group, and over 80% of the collection is curated to the genus level. Nearly 4500 primary types reside in the Diptera collection, in part through the acquisition of the Mesnil, Reinhard, Hull, W.R. Thompson and Garrett collections, and these types are catalogued (see Diptera Types in the Canadian National Collection of Insects).

Although most specimens are from the Nearctic region, coverage is worldwide, with impressive holdings from the Neotropics (particularly Chile), the Palaearctic (especially Scandinavia, Great Britain, Austria and Spain), as well as Nepal and Uganda. Families that are particularly well represented include the Agromyzidae, Calliphoridae, Ceratopogonidae, Chamaemyiidae, Chironomidae, Dolichopodidae, Empididae, Lauxaniidae, Lonchaeidae, Mycetophilidae, Pipunculidae, Sarcophagidae, Scathophagidae, Sciomyzidae, Simuliidae, Stratiomyidae, Syrphidae, Tabanidae and Tachinidae. In addition, the collection contains relatively diverse holdings of immature Diptera, an impressive slide collection, and several hundred Upper Cretaceous fossil flies in Canadian amber.

Collection Holdings *To download an excel spreadsheet listing all of our holdings, click here - updated 23 September 2021*

Click here for link to holdings, organized by family

Diptera Links on this Site