There are 130 Dipteran families world-wide containing about 150 000 different species. Only 98 of these families are represented in Australia, with approximately 7786 species present. Families of this order are generally divided up into two main groups or suborders, the Nematocera and the Brachycera. Members of the Nematocera usually have filiform antennae that are longer than the thorax and have 8 or more segments. Some male species may also exhibit plumose or feather-like antennae. Those within the Brachycera usually have short to very short antennae with less than 7 segments and consist of a narrow bristle on a broad base. Follow the links below to find out more about Diptera families. Those in bold represent the families present in Australia.

For more flies and mosquito species visit the Australian Insect Common Names