Diptera: Flies

Flies are the most underappreciated of the major insect orders. While they are best known for pests like the domestic house fly and their association with mosquito-borne diseases like malaria, in truth the harmful species are a small minority. These insects are the most adept of all the flying animals, they were instrumental in building the science of genetics, and they are among the most important pollinators of flowering plants.

Drosophila (Sophophora) pseudoobscura is a species of vinegar fly native to western North America. It is an important model organism for studies of population genetics, and was the second Drosophila to have its genome sequenced, after the common D. melanogaster.
Laboratory stock at the University of California, San Diego.