Meticulously researched and illustrated with more than 2000 color photographs taken by the author, is a landmark reference book that will be indispensable to any naturalist, biologist or entomologist. Most photographs in this encyclopedic reference were taken in the field and show the insects in their natural environment. All of the world's fly families are included, with photographic coverage spanning the range from common deer flies and fruit flies through to deadly tsetse flies and malaria mosquitoes, with thousands of spectacular species such as exotic stalk eyed flies, giant robber flies and hedgehog flies in between. is broken up into three parts: Life Histories, Habits and Habitats of Flies; Diversity; and Identifying and Studying Flies. The 20 pages of profusely illustrated keys linked to the unprecedented photographic coverage of the world's fly families and subfamilies enable the reader to identify most flies quickly and accurately, and to readily access information about each family as well as hundreds of distinctive genera and species. includes: Part 1: Life Histories, Habits and Habitats of Flies Chapter 1 — Life Histories of Flies Chapter 2 — Flies, Plants and Fungi Chapter 3 — Flies and Vertebrates Chapter 4 — Flies and Invertebrates Part 2: Diversity Chapter 5 — Origins and Distribution of the Diptera Chapter 6 — The Lower Diptera Chapter 7 — The Lower Brachycera and Empidoidea Chapter 8 — The Higher Brachycera or Cyclorrhapha Part 3: Identifying and Studying Flies Chapter 9 — Collecting, Preserving and Rearing Flies Chapter 10 — Identifying Fly Families