The empidid flies are common in many New Zealand streams, but they can be easily overlooked due to their small size. There are different ...
The Tabanidae is another one of the less common families of true flies in our fresh waters. Their larvae resemble those of craneflies, bu...
The muscid flies have a range of larval forms depending on the species. Some are simple maggot-like forms lacking any conspicuous structu...
The dolichopodid flies are not well known in New Zealand fresh waters. Their aquatic larvae may be mistaken for empidids as they are smal...
The Sciomyzidae is another one of the less common families of true flies in our fresh waters. Their larvae are maggot-like, but the body ...
Like other culicids [Coquillettidia] mosquito larvae have a wide thorax (the widest part of the body) and a breathing siphon at the end o...
The culicids are the well-known mosquitos with biting adults. Their swimming larvae are distinguished from other true flies by their wide...
Psychodid flies have small larvae that are easily distinguished by the combination of a non-retractile head, a respiratory siphon at the ...
The pelecorhynchids are among the rarely recorded fly families in New Zealand. Their larvae are long and slender with a smooth and shiny ...
[Mischoderus] is a primitive cranefly in the family Tanyderidae. The larva differs from tipulid cranefly larvae in that the head is not r...
The syrphid larva has a maggot-like body with a long tail-like breathing tube.
[Austrosimulium] is a member of the simuliid blackfly (commonly called “sandfly”) family. They have small larvae characterised by a bulbo...
The ephydrids (“shore flies”) are among the less common true flies in our fresh waters. Their larvae have a maggot-like body with a velve...
Stratiomyid fly larvae have a long leathery body, a non-retractile head and a rosette of hairs at the end of the abdomen. In some specime...
Anisopodid flies (also known as “wood gnats”) have larvae that superficially resemble ceratopogonid or chironomid larvae, but they have a...
![[Coquillettidia] larva. Image: Stephen Moore](/assets/Tools-And-Resources/Identification/freshwater-invertebrates/coquillettidia22_na__FillMaxWzMwMCwyMDBd.jpg)
![[Mischoderus] late instar larva with tail filaments. Image: Stephen Moore](/assets/Tools-And-Resources/Identification/freshwater-invertebrates/mischoderus_trcmontage_b_650__FillMaxWzMwMCwyMDBd.jpg)
![Sandfly ([Austrosimulium]) larva. Image: Stephen Moore](/assets/Tools-And-Resources/Identification/freshwater-invertebrates/austrosimulium_waiwhetumontage_b_650_na__FillMaxWzMwMCwyMDBd.jpg)
![Shore fly [Ephydridae] larva. Image: Stephen Moore](/assets/Tools-And-Resources/Identification/freshwater-invertebrates/ephydrid_b_feb_03_waikatomontage_b_650_na__FillMaxWzMwMCwyMDBd.jpg)
