Dipteran (Noun)
Meaning
Insects having usually a single pair of functional wings (anterior pair) with the posterior pair reduced to small knobbed structures and mouth parts adapted for sucking or lapping or piercing.
Classification
Nouns denoting animals.
Examples
- Flies, mosquitoes, and midges are all dipteran insects with various methods of feeding on nectar and other substances.
- The dipteran order comprises over 120,000 described species, ranging from gnats to horseflies.
- Dipterans have unique adaptations, such as powerful sponging mouthparts that allow them to consume liquid substances.
- Dipteran larvae, often called maggots, mainly feed on organic matter, breaking it down into simpler components.
- Entomologists have struggled to determine the age of dipteran fossils due to their similarity to modern-day specimens.