Oklahoma is home to many different types of insects, including several species of flies.
Although they can be a nuisance, these types of flies in Oklahoma are vital to the local ecosystem.
In our blog post, we’ll look at some of the most common types of flies in Oklahoma and discuss their behavior and habitat.
Whether you’re a nature enthusiast or just curious about the types of flies in your area, you’re sure to find something interesting about these fascinating creatures.
Read on!
1. American HoverFly
First on our list of types of flies in Oklahoma that are beneficial to people and entirely safe are Hover Flies(Eupeodes spp).
Because of its colors and striped abdomen, this genus is regarded as a bee imitation. Even some species’ resting wings appear to have two pairs (like most bees and wasps).
They create this effect by giving their one pair of wings a darker front border.
Adult hover types of flies in Oklahoma consume flower nectar while eating by visiting numerous blossoms each day.
Inadvertently, they pollinate gardens by carrying a lot of pollen from flower to flower on their bodies.
They also devour aphids and other plant pests when they are in their larval stage, as if the advantages of having them pollinate plants weren’t enough to urge them to flourish.
Hover types of flies in Oklahoma are beneficial to have around since their diet reduces aphid infestations that injure plants and reduce harvests.
2. American Lady Butterfly
The Brush-footed butterfly family includes the American Lady Butterfly(Vanessa virginiensis) is also on our list of types of flies in Oklahoma. It connects to the West Coast Lady, the Red Admiral, and the Painted Lady.
The small hairs or bristles on the front legs, which resemble those on a toothbrush, are quite short. They can appear to have only four legs due to the length of their front legs.
One can mistakenly believe they are gazing at two separate butterflies due to the stark differences in this species’ upper and below colors.
The forewings and the hindwings have an orange, black, and white dorsal (top side). The center of the orange forewing has a tiny white dot.
A row of black dots can be seen close to the lower margin of the hindwings. The center of the two largest of these is blue.
These are the most noticeable when the wings are spread wide and flat. The butterfly’s ventral side, or underside, is extremely patterned when its wings are closed.
With a flash of vivid pink on the forewings, this side of the wings is a mosaic of gray, white, and brown. Each of the two sizable eyespots on the hindwings is helpful for identification.
Fields, canyons, and meadows are the sunny, open habitats this butterfly loves. They are common in the northern and southern U.S. and Canada during the summer.
In the winter, they travel to Mexico and the southern United States for the milder climate.
3. American Salmonfly
The largest stonefly in North America, the American salmonfly (Pteronarcys dorcata), is most active from late spring through late summer.
The American Salmonfly, like other members of the Stonefly family, is a helpful bioindicator.
During these early phases of development, the aquatic larvae of the American salmon fly reside underwater and are very vulnerable to pollution. The larvae will perish if the water is contaminated with pollutants.
Therefore, the presence of many adults indicates that the water supply and the ecosystem it supports are clean and in good health.
The appearance of American types of flies in Oklahoma is quite pleasing to fishers.
Adults live brief lives of less than a month and do not eat. Their heads have bulging black eyeballs on the sides.
An orange line that virtually links the two ends of a dark pronotum (also known as a “neck collar”) is surrounded by bright orange at both ends. The legs and long, black antennae resemble those of beetles.
Algae and other submerged decomposing plant materials make up their food. They are a crucial component of fish diets.
Anglers, particularly fly fishermen, employ real larvae and synthetic imitations as fish bait.
There are fish where there are salmon types of flies in Oklahoma. Larvae resemble tiny crustaceans rather than flying insects.
They eventually leave the water, where they develop into winged adults and shed their exuviae, or exoskeletons, after undergoing multiple molting and developing cycles. These abandoned “shells” are empty and close to the water’s edge.
4. Aphrodite Fritillary Butterfly
The goddess of love, joy, and beauty in Greek mythology is Aphrodite. A beautiful summery butterfly that only has one brood a year is the Aphrodite Fritillary(Speyeria Aphrodite).
Its identification can be a little difficult because it has many near relatives that closely resemble it.
Male and female types of flies in Oklahoma differ in size, and different parts of the continent have varied colors, further complicating matters.
The Aphrodite Fritillary’s yellow-green eyes provide a quick means to rule out practically all relatives.
Although they both have yellow-green eyes and are found in Aphrodite’s area, the Great Spangled Fritillary and Atlantis Fritillary are substantially larger and smaller (respectively) than the medium-sized Aphrodite.
Aphrodite men Fritillary types of flies in Oklahoma typically have a two-week head start on females and are smaller.
During the hotter periods of the day, they actively look for females. Females can be seen strolling on the ground close to violets after mating, laying fertilized eggs at a rate of roughly one per plant.
In the late summer, the caterpillar that emerges from these eggs consumes the leaves of numerous varieties of violets.
From head to tail, parts of its black body are covered in lengthy rows of bristles. These bristles could be yellow or black.
When violets start to bloom in the spring, it re-emerges after spending the winter hiding behind leaves. In the early summer, they spend two to three weeks pupating.
5. Band-winged CraneFly
Despite resembling a mosquito, a cranefly is a big fly that does neither bite nor sting.
Crane flies (Epiphragma fasciapenne) stretch out their one pair of wings as they rest on vegetation, window screens, and buildings.
The translucent wings of the Band-winged Crane types of flies in Oklahoma are coated in a scattering of dark dots. The overall result is broad, black bands and thin, light bands.
This fly has six long legs, typically bent and extending outward in all directions from the body. It’s not uncommon to see a crane fly with less than six legs because it can lose legs very quickly.
6. Band-winged Hoverfly
Band-winged fly(Ocyptamus fascipennis) is next on Oklahoma’s list of types of flies. It is a little insect. The abdomen of a hoverfly is lengthy, like a wasp’s.
The black markings on its wings are visible when it is lazing around. This type of hoverfly does not sting or bite, like other types of flies in Oklahoma.
People have a brief opportunity to notice it while flying because of its ability to remain airborne without moving.
Look for the Band-winged Hoverfly above flowers in gardens, containers, and fields, just like other hoverflies. There can be many people in one place looking at the same plant.
7. Bee Fly
Although the Bee fly (Anthrax aterrimus) resembles a bee, it does not sting. The sides of the black body have a few gray or silver hairs. The thorax’s top is glossy and smooth.
The inky wings have a black leading edge that is slightly translucent at the bottom. Under some lighting conditions, the wings could have a purple or blue metallic sheen.
This has a powerful flight and is nimble. Its ability to hover adds to how similar it is to a bee.
8. Bee-like Robber Fly
Bee-like Robber (Laphria Spp) types of flies in Oklahoma are small, slender, and black; they resemble bees or wasps in appearance.
They can fly well and only pose harm to the insects they consume. They don’t sting since they are flies.
This particular genus contains many species, making it difficult to distinguish them from one another at first glance.
They all have thick facial “beards.” Adults hunt after and eat other flying insects in the air.
Larvae eat softer ground-dwelling insects like grubs and caterpillars. Look at the boundaries of the woodland for this sort of Robber Fly, which resembles a bee.
When they are waiting for food to come by, they may perch on branches and on, beneath, or between leaves. They are amazing to see since they are little but quick.
9. Bee-like Tachinid Fly
Beelike Tachinid Fly(Hystricia abrupta) larvae are deadly predators of insects that some people might find bothersome. Most of these fly larvae prey on several bothersome moth species’ caterpillars.
Some Tachinid types of flies in Oklahoma have been purposefully brought from different regions due to their diet to reduce populations of destructive moths.
The female Bee-like Tachinid Fly lays a pair of fertilized eggs on or near a moth caterpillar. The caterpillar can unintentionally devour the eggs as it eats on the leaves they are on.
The caterpillar will eat its internal organs until the larva consumes them. The fly larva will then fall to the earth, building a hole to pupate in before becoming an adult fly.
10. Big Dipper Firefly
In the summer, fireflies (Phototinus pyralid) are renowned for their spectacular nightly displays.
These amiable bugs’ bioluminescence makes both kids and adults happy. Their abdomen emits a yellow-green glow.
Without producing any heat, chemical activities inside the firefly produce visible light. Such a phenomenon rarely occurs in nature.
The firefly’s neurological system regulates the light’s brightness and the frequency of its flashes.
As the light fades, this specific type of firefly will flash its strongest light before flying upward in a “j” curve.
Many people have happy childhood memories of catching fireflies. This bug can be delicately handled and should surely be admired.
11. Black Firefly
While other cousins’ elytra (wing coverings) have some yellow edging, Black Fireflies(Lucidota atra)’ are entirely black.
Round and yellow, the pronotum (also known as the “shoulder”) extends over the head like a shield.
There is a huge black spot in the center with red borders on either side. Black types of flies in Oklahoma, when emerging from the pupal case, firefly males may use their light organ, but they do not use it as adults.
Instead, chemical pheromones are released into the atmosphere to alert other species members to their presence.
Both sexes still have diminished light organs, making them fireflies while only being active at night.
Like other types of flies in Oklahoma, Black fireflies can be found in meadows near bodies of water, parks, fields, and woodlands.
This species favors damp, humid environments. Instead of waiting for them to illuminate, which is unlikely to happen with this species, keep an eye out for them in the air, on the ground, and on plants.
12. Black Soldier Fly
The innocuous Black Soldier Fly(Hermetia illucens) looks like a wasp. Although it is more noticeable than house flies due to its large size and powerful wings, it does belong to that family.
The eyes are large and rounded, and the long, black antennae do not bend or have an “elbow” joint.
The creature’s abdomen tapers to the point that it barely begins to resemble a stinger, and its legs are black and yellow.
Two medium-sized dots that resemble window panes can be seen if its wings are extended apart.
They could be yellow, white, or green in hue, but they also almost seem clear or translucent.
The African Soldier types of flies in Oklahoma prefer wet environments. Manure and animal waste are frequent locations where one can be seen moving around.
This fly does not spread disease despite hanging out near sewage and waste. Like several other huge flies, it does not bite either.
Look for Black Soldier types of flies in Oklahoma among compost piles, rotting plants, and manure piles.
It is thought to be relatively advantageous to have around since it controls house fly numbers by reducing fly nymphal habitats.
13. Black-tailed Bee Fly
Black-tailed Bee Fly (Bombylius major)is next on our list of types of flies in Oklahoma.
Predators who do not want to cope with a stinger are often scared off by this species’ yellow body and legs. However, as it is a fly, it lacks a stinger.
The large tongue or proboscis rapidly reveals the animal’s real nature. The long, slender legs of bee flies are similarly devoid of pollen baskets.
Additionally, they lack the fuzzy legs that honeybees and bumblebees generally have on their back legs.
Adults enjoy lilac and plum blooms and drink flower nectar. The diet of larvae is more pernicious.
A female black-tailed bee fly deposits her fertilized eggs in a specific kind of solitary bee’s underground nest.
They can be seen resting on plants or buzzing around flowers in parks, backyards, and open fields.
Like a hummingbird, they can hover over the blooms they eat from. Males frequently linger near flowers as they watch for females to pass by.
Then, to mate with the female, the males run after her. While observers can get close, capturing the Black-tailed Bee Fly can be challenging since it is aware of its environment and can flee swiftly.
14. Brown Mantidfly
Brown Mantidflies(Climaciella brunea) may initially be mistaken for wasps. The abdomen and hairless body appear to be prominent signs, with bands alternating between yellow, black, and brown.
Its wings’ vein structure even resembles that of the wasp family. The Brown Mantidfly has a little more physiology, though, and a closer look reveals an odd combination of traits that are rarely found in one insect.
They feature forelegs similar to the Praying Mantis and a long, broad prothorax (sometimes known as “shoulders”).
It has a solitary claw that it uses to snare tiny insects. At the tip of her abdomen, the female has an ovipositor, a tube-like syringe used to lay eggs.
Indirectly, the Wolf Spider has a natural opponent in the Brown Mantidfly. Brown Mantidfly larvae sneak inside a female Wolf Spider’s developing egg sac after hatching from their eggs and entering covertly.
The Mantidfly larvae start eating the spider eggs as soon as they are enclosed.
Once they have reached adulthood, Brown Mantidflies hatch from the spider’s egg sac, brown types of flies in Oklahoma are rarely seen, but when they are, they leave a lasting impression.
They like marshes, meadows, woodlands, and open fields, which are most active from spring through summer.
15. Cabbage White Butterfly
The upper corners of the Cabbage, White’s(Pieris rapae) types of flies in Oklahoma, delicate wings are charcoal gray when extended flat, making them visible.
Each male forewing has a single black mark in the center, whereas a female has two spots.
If the wings are elevated, the underside of the forewings, which might be yellow or light green, is visible.
The Cabbage White, a frequent guest of vegetable patches, brings playfulness to a garden landscape. The unfavorable result could be a caterpillar issue a few weeks later.
The green larva of the Cabbage White eats mustard-related plants, including nasturtiums and cabbage. It has five yellow lines spanning the length of it, and it is hairy.
The leaves of cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower can be chewed through in a matter of days due to the caterpillar’s insatiable appetite and the fact that it frequently has siblings nearby.
They are considered garden pests because of their destructive food requirements, and population management is necessary to preserve harvests.
When adult types of flies in Oklahoma are spotted in the area, row coverings can be used to prevent eggs from being laid on host plants.
This method can lessen the need for chemical pesticides on food and ease garden work.
16. Cloudless Sulphur Butterfly
In the southern United States and Mexico, where they can raise three or four broods annually, cloudless sulfurs (Phoebis sennae) types of flies in Oklahoma are common.
Every year, they travel north, where the cold prevents them from having more than one or two broods before they head back south.
Both in name and appearance, this species resembles the Clouded Sulphur. Both are a similar shade of yellow, with just a few differences in spot location and forewing shape.
If they are around long enough to be studied, these tiny characteristics help separate them from one another.
Various locations with flowers or mud puddles are good places to look for Cloudless Sulphurs.
In addition to tropical forests and beaches, they roam through backyards, building sites, woodland margins, parks, and fields.
They are powerful, quick flyers who don’t often seem to stop long enough to get a good rest.
17. Common Buckeye Butterfly
The Common Buckeye(Junonia coenia) belongs to the large family of Brush-footed types of flies in Oklahoma.
This indicates that it has ties to the Viceroy, Malachite, Monarch, and Fritillary subfamilies.
Since the front legs are so little and nearly impossible to detect, many people initially count only 4 legs.
The front pair is likewise coated in short bristles, or hairs, like a hair brush, in addition to its minuscule length.
Common Buckeyes types of flies in Oklahoma have one little and one large black-and-blue eyespot on each wing and are primarily brown.
These eye dots have orange and black borders. Each forewing has two distinct orange bands close to the head, and a substantial ivory band encircles the bigger eyespot.
The wings’ lower edges have a border of orange and light brown. Each forewing has a less elaborate pattern underneath it, with two medium-sized eyespots on a brown wing. The tip of each antenna features a little knob.
The Common Buckeye types of flies in Oklahoma do not reproduce in the northernmost U.S. states or Canada, despite being occasionally spotted there.
They can reproduce up to four times yearly in warmer climates and favor warmer states.
18. Common Drone Fly
The drone fly (Eristalis tenax), a widespread fly on the continent, is an excellent bee impersonator.
The stingless male bees are known as drones, distinguished from ordinary bees by having large eyes and an unusual banding pattern on their abdomen.
In those aspects, the Drone Fly is similar to the Bee Drone. Although their adult types of flies in Oklahoma can be seen collecting nectar from flowers, larvae prefer aquatic habitats, especially foul-smelling, stagnant water.
While the rest of the larva remains below the water’s surface, the maggot develops a breathing tube from its back and uses it to breathe.
They belong to the hoverfly species known as Rat-tailed Maggots. It can consume decaying stuff in the water thanks to this tube. Adults may be seen close to moist regions.
19. Common Green Bottle Fly
Common Green Bottle(Lucilia sericata) is next on our list of types of flies in Oklahoma. In addition to pollinating crops, including kale, broccoli, cabbage, collard greens, and onions, flies consume nectar.
Adults have a hue of shiny green. Some have glossy bodies with hues of yellow. They all have big red eyes and scant black hair covering their bodies.
Due to its feeding and habitat, this species’ life cycle timing has been thoroughly examined and is now known.
Standard Green Bottle Fly larvae consume the remains of deceased animals. The presence of maggots at a crime scene can help determine when the bodies will start to decompose because we know their size and life stage.
One of the first types of flies in Oklahoma to land on a corpse is an adult member of this species.
They go through different life stages in days rather than weeks or years due to their short lifespans, which provides forensic teams with important information.
When surgical methods are unsuccessful or unfeasible, maggots have also been employed medicinally to remove rotting tissue from people.
The maggots methodically eat the dead tissue while leaving the healthy tissue alone when placed in an infected, necrotic area, cleansing the wound as they do so.
But sheep suffer because of this same species. Sheep strike is a health concern brought on by larvae that infiltrate sheep’s healthy skin and, if untreated, result in the death of the sheep.
20. Common Oblique Syrphid Fly
The Common Oblique Syrphid Fly (Allograpta obliqua)can be distinguished from other species thanks to the oblique or angled yellow dashes at the tip.
Short antennae and large, rounded, crimson eyes are quick clues that this insect is not a bee.
Most people can be fooled by the yellow and black banding and hovering flight ability, but a quick examination helps eliminate the worry of being stung.
This fly’s long, flat abdomen occasionally bends downward, just like the abdomens of other bee mimics in the Fly family.
The abdomen of female tapers to a point, but a man’s abdomen is more squared off at the tip.
The stamps’ distinguishing features are the two rows of oblique yellow dashes on the outside margins and the two vertical yellow dashes in between.
The female flies in Oklahoma lay fertilized eggs on or close to locations where aphids are present when adults visit flowers.
The tiny insects and aphids puncture plant tissues and sip the liquids inside. Aphids are regarded as a pest because of how quickly they multiply.
Fortunately, Common Oblique Syrphid larvae are ferocious aphid feeders. The fly eggs hatch within a week after being laid, and the tiny, worm-like maggots begin feeding on aphids on the same plant.
21. Common Ringlet Butterfly
A Common Ringlet (Coenonympha Tulia) can look slightly different depending on its region. The tops of the Northeast individuals’ wings are golden yellow, whereas those from the West Coast are white.
When the wings are folded up, most have a single black eyespot on the top of the forewing’s underside. Certain Northwestern ones are missing that eyespot.
The forewings typically display an orange hue when the wings are elevated, while the hairy hindwings are taupe, tan, or brown.
Some even come in black and yellow. Regardless of the dominant hue, they all share the same basic design.
All three North American countries contain this type of fly in Oklahoma. While adults frequently pause at flowers, caterpillars frequently eat grasses.
Depending on the geography, two broods may be produced in warm states, compared to just one in northern states and provinces. Start looking for flying adults in March and keep looking until October.
22. Common Sawfly
Common sawfly (Various Spp) is next on our list of types of flies in Oklahoma.
With a saw-like mechanism, female sawflies may more effectively hide their eggs from the weather and potential predators inside twigs and stems.
Although sawflies appear to fly, they are wasps. Thankfully, this species of wasp are stingless. Depending on the species, they could be brown, black, black, and yellow or black and red.
The Sawfly’s larvae resemble caterpillars very much. Butterfly and moth larvae frequently exhibit the same body forms, hues, and patterns as sawfly larvae.
By counting the number of prolegs, you can tell them apart (the back legs). Caterpillars have fewer than six sets, whereas sawflies have more than six.
Caterpillars can reach the length of the adult hand’s palm, whereas sawflies can only reach a maximum length of 25 mm (1 inch).
It helps identify a sawfly larva, especially if it destroys trees and plants. Many sawfly larvae can seriously hurt plants, even if healthy plants can endure sawfly damage.
23. Common Stonefly
The Perlidae family includes the Common Stonefly(Paragnetina media). The presence of Stone types of flies in Oklahoma indicates clear streams and water, together with Caddisflies and Mayflies.
Juveniles and adults have varied appearances. Dark brown or olive brown are the colors of adult Common Stoneflies.
With dark veins, the wings cross each other over the body. The lower portion of the head and the antennal bases are both yellow.
There are two more yellow spots between the “neck” and the “wings” (one near each shoulder). Two tails, typically hidden by the wings from above, are seen on the body beneath the wings.
Naiads are the offspring, and they resemble tiny crustaceans more than insects. Females sometimes pass away on the water after laying their eggs on or just above the water’s surface.
The newly hatched naiads live their entire lives underwater, developing and feeding.
When they are ready to grow and develop wings, they fly to land and shed their exoskeletons to become winged adults.
Anglers frequently keep an eye on the existence and life stage of a local population of stoneflies to better time their fishing excursions because trout consume the naiad stage of stoneflies.
24. Coral Hairstreak Butterfly
An essential characteristic for recognizing this butterfly is a continuous row of coral-colored dots on the underside of the hindwings. Coral is present for other Hairstreak species, but not for this one.
Spots are large, distinct, and vivid. This side of the wings likewise has little black flecks, but the wings are otherwise unmarked.
Except for a sliver of orange peeking through from the spots below, even the top sides are plain. Antennas are banded in black and white.
Their Adults types of flies in Oklahoma are frequently observed with their wings up, which is helpful for people seeking to identify them.
The chokecherry, wild cherry, and wild plum trees provide food for the caterpillar.
Adults drink nectar from various flowering plants, including dogbane and butterfly weed. This species is present in the southern Canadian provinces and has a wide range in the United States.
Look for coral adult types of flies in Oklahoma in bushes, chaparral, scrub, and wooded places.
25. Crane Flies
Despite their enormous size, they are not actual mosquitoes. The adults of crane flies(Various Spp) are not known to feed on anything, don’t have a long proboscis (snout), and don’t bite.
The frail, long legs of crane types of flies in Oklahoma are prone to breaking, which may cause some people to mistake them for huge Daddy-Long Legs (which are not spiders, by the way). However, you can easily see that craneflies have wings up close.
Adults frequently hang from things like plants, gutters, and soffits or sit on walls when drawn to light. While some species favor more aquatic settings, others only inhabit the land.
26. Deer Fly
Deer flies(Chrysops vittatus), though physically smaller than the related Horse Fly, can pack a nasty bite, and their annoyance can make it unpleasant to be outside.
Bites are merely irritating and not fatal. Bite wounds will naturally heal, although applying ice may assist with some signs and symptoms like pain and swelling.
This species has four thinner black lines on the abdomen and three thicker black lines on the thorax. It is yellow-orange. Females bite and ingest blood.
Males consume honey from flowers rather than drinking blood. The main host for this fly is a deer.
However, when they are not there, female Deer types of flies in Oklahoma may feed on the blood of anything or anyone. When near water, females deposit fertilized eggs.
After hatching, larvae consume aquatic insects and the mother’s blood meal. Larvae stay near or in water sources like puddles, troughs, and ponds while they grow.
Adults are everywhere, but they are more common in locations where deer are known to graze.
It is challenging to get them to leave regions they have established as hunting grounds, such as certain stretches of a beach or patios in backyards.
27. Dobsonfly
Dobsonfly (Corydalis cornutus) males have mouth parts resembling tentacles and frightening appearances. In actuality, the species’ males are considered harmless to people and unable to bite.
On the other hand, the female can bite quite painfully when agitated, thanks to her powerful jaws.
The large, fleshy mandibles of male Dobsonflies can resemble a second set of short, rubbery antennae. The pincers on a female’s small jaw are big.
Both sexes have broad wings that completely encircle their bodies when seen from above. They are taupe.
Small white spots may be seen on the net-veined wings, which slightly overlap at the midline.
Before becoming an airborne bug, dobsonflies start as aquatic larvae. They are known as toe-biters or hellgrammites while young and can get as big as a human finger.
They consume immature aquatic larvae from other species, small fish, and tadpoles (like dragonfly naiads and stonefly hellgrammites).
Early larvae resemble underwater centipedes, and adults watch them from above the water nearby.
Since these hellgrammites have teeth, it is important to use caution when handling them and entering their habitat barefoot.
Anglers use them as live bait despite the potential for a bite on the finger.
28. Eastern-tailed Blue Butterfly
The Gossamer-Winged Butterfly family includes the Eastern-tailed Blue Butterfly(Cupido comyntas). They glide through the air on delicate wings, appearing light and airy.
This species belongs to the Blues group, whose members often have blue coloring ranging from a light steely tone to a deep azure.
When their wings are spread flat, males have royal blue wings, while females have brown wings.
Both sexes’ closed wings have pale blue undersides with black and gray patterns. Each hindwing has two orange eyespots that are considered to help deceive bird predators.
A little portion of the wing may be destroyed if the bird mistakenly believes the eyespot to be the head of an insect and attacks it, but the butterfly escapes almost undamaged.
29. Filter Fly
Fuzzy, dark Filter On the walls and doors of the restroom stalls, flies are frequently spotted resting.
Numerous people had swatted at one to prevent it from landing on them when they were exposed and vulnerable.
This sort of fly is not just seen in bathrooms and kitchens. It is frequently observed in nature next to foul ponds and other moist regions where degradation occurs.
However, most people connect this moth fly with waste, filth, and trash. Small white specks may be visible along the edges of the wings’ softly checkered border.
Its body and gray-black thorax are both heavily-haired (the abdomen). White-tipped and segmented antennas are present.
When resting, two of its six black legs are often extended in front of the fly. A thin, white ring should be seen around the legs.
The Filter Fly’s wormy(Clogmia albipunctata), black larvae, or maggots eat decomposing materials. That could be garbage, or it could be vegetation growing close to a still pond.
The knowledge of the type of stuff the adult lands on is frequent enough to establish a strong aversion to this species even though it is not known to spread disease.
30. Fishfly
The group of winged insects known as Dobsonflies and Alderflies includes fishflies(Chauliodes pectinicornis).
They are typically identified by their size, dark color, and chaotic-looking flight approach.
They have long feathery antennae and jaws (mandibles) with teeth that resemble saws. When closed, their wings curl tightly over one another and are at least as long as their bodies.
The transparent wings are covered in veins and color blotches. Males wrestle for females by using their mouths.
Females deposit hundreds of fertilized eggs on low-lying branches or bushes above the water.
When they hatch, larvae fall into the water. While their adult types of flies in Oklahoma can be spotted relaxing on land, they are typically found adjacent to submerged vegetation near running water.
31. Flesh Fly
Understanding the life cycle of particular genera of flesh flies(Sarcophagus Spp) can be useful knowledge.
A forensic expert may be helped by the presence of adults and larvae at a crime scene to estimate how long a body has been there.
On carcasses, the genus Sarcophaga deposits live maggots rather than eggs, and their size and life stage shifts rapidly.
When calculating the time of death, it may be helpful to keep track of both the moment the body was discovered and the life stage of the current flies.
Sarcophaga adult types of flies in Oklahoma have clear wings and red eyes. Their thorax (‘shoulder area’) contains alternating metallic-looking black and gray patterns. The brownish-red tip and spiky hairs on the black abdomen’s end.
Adult flesh flies may also visit dung heaps and consume animal fluids. Some of the first insects to a dead animal are flesh flies.
Their larvae (maggots) consume the deceased insects and the rotting, decomposing meat of vertebrates.
Many of them continue to eat by crawling over one another at a single feeding spot until they pupate. The sight of them may make some people queasy.
32. Green Horse Fly
The Green Horse Fly(Chlorotabanus crepuscularis) is a sizable, vivid fly with red, white, or green eyes. Males have eyes that are close together, whereas females have only a little space between them.
Knowing this is important because, in contrast to females, males do not bite. The bite is a severe nip; the female needs blood from horses, cows, and even humans to produce eggs.
It is challenging to hide from the fly because the female can smell traces of carbon dioxide, the gas that mammals naturally exhale.
This species has a moist habitat. In forests, larvae grow in murky streams, and adults are frequently close.
The Green Horse Fly is primarily active in the southern, warmer states of the United States and Mexico.
33. Green Mantisfly
Green Mantisflies(Zeugomantispa Spp) are also on our list of types of flies in Oklahoma.
Their adult devours insects and catches them with their front set of legs. This set of legs bends like the Praying Mantis, like hands in prayer.
However, this insect’s flight isn’t quite as fluid and agile. Mantisflies, also known as Mantidflies, are frequently green, but other species can also be brown, yellow, or orange.
Red spots could be seen on the Green Mantisfly’s head, neck, and abdomen.
The delicate vein pattern on the wings is reminiscent of Lacewings, a distant relative. Mantisfly larvae are parasitic predators that ride on adult spiders as soon as they emerge from the egg.
A male spider’s larva waits until the time comes for it to move over to a female during mating.
The mantisfly larva moves in, hiding amid the recently placed eggs, once the female starts laying fertilized eggs in a silken egg sac.
Once it is enclosed inside the egg sac, it will eat only spider eggs until it is time to pupate. It emerges as an adult with wings.
34. Hangingfly
Hangingflies (Bittacus Spp)types of flies in Oklahoma resemble the tall, lanky. In the summer, it’s usual to see craneflies clinging to window screens, although these insects are smaller, more like mosquitoes.
Two pairs of wings make up a hanging fly’s total of four, frequently resting with all four wings extended.
They frequently hang on leaves or twigs while bending their long legs into a crouching position. Others are darker brownish or brown.
Some species have creamy white abdomens. Some species’ wings are transparent, while others have colored patterns.
They are all hunters and glide past smaller insects while catching them with their large, powerful back legs.
They pick up prey using their back “feet” and bring it to their mouth, where they eat it while flying quietly.
Common feeding sources include a variety of flies and other tiny insects. To entice a female into mating, a male offers her either alive or dead food.
35. March Brown Mayfly
Mayflies (Maccaffertium vivarium) are a reliable indicator of water quality. Mayflies spend their early stages of development underwater and do not flourish in tainted streams, creeks, or other aquatic ecosystems.
April Brown Anglers are interested in identifying mayflies by appearance, activity, and life stage since they are a common food source for fish, particularly trout.
By utilizing a fishing lure that matches the current species of Mayfly, one can boost their chances of success.
March Brown’s four main life phases are egg, nymph, subimago, and imago. Huge swarms may generate a stir in highly developed places where people are not used to seeing them, mainly over water.
36. Ornate Snipe Fly
The Ornate Snipe Fly (Chrysopilus ornatus) has black and golden-yellow bands on its abdomen that make convincing bee impersonations.
Golden hairs can also be seen on the thorax. The fly’s small antennae demonstrate that, while appearing like a bee, it is actually a fly.
Its legs are yellow but turn darker at the feet, and its wings are translucent. The Males types of flies in Oklahoma are relatively slim, whereas females appear to have more bloated abdomens.
This fly frequently lands on leaves. Few insects have a shimmer that draws attention because of their realistic gold look.
The Ornate Snipe Fly can be found close to and inside wooded areas where its larvae have access to a consistent source of decomposing wood.
37. Whitefly
Lastly, on our list of types of flies in Oklahoma, Whiteflies (Various Spp) are incredibly tiny insects that do not belong to the fly family. They are regarded as real bugs and have a distinctive life cycle.
After hatching, a tiny nymph moves along a leaf until it locates a suitable location for the next few weeks.
It settles down, sheds its legs, and keeps molting. It appears more like a scale in this static, spherical, eyeless state.
Until it pupates into an adult with wings, it consumes the plant’s juices throughout this stage. Since the whitefly reproduces quickly, a big population can harm the vigor and health of a plant.
It releases honeydew, a delicious, gooey material that can turn black with mildew over time and destroy the beauty of ornamental plants.
Both commercial farmers and backyard gardeners view it as a pest since it can spread plant infections.
When analyzing leaves, it might be necessary to use a hand lens because there is so little to see clearly what they are.
Conclusion
Oklahoma is home to a wide variety of insects, including many types of flies.
While some of these types of flies in Oklahoma can be annoying or even dangerous, others are actually quite helpful to our environment.
Our blog post has examined the different types of flies in Oklahoma. We have also discussed why these types of flies in Oklahoma are important to the ecosystem and how to deal with any potential problems they may cause.
