A calypter is either of two posterior lobes of the posterior margin of the

forewing Insect wings are adult outgrowths of the insect exoskeleton that enable insects to fly. They are found on the second and third thoracic segments (the mesothorax and metathorax), and the two pairs are often referred to as the forewings and hindwi ...

flies Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwings having evolved into advanced m ...

between the extreme posterior wing base and the

alula The alula , or bastard wing, (plural ''alulae'') is a small projection on the anterior edge of the wing of modern birds and a few non-avian dinosaurs. The word is Latin and means "winglet"; it is the diminutive of ''ala'', meaning "wing". The al ...

, which covers the

haltere ''Halteres'' (; singular ''halter'' or ''haltere'') (from grc, ἁλτῆρες, weights held in the hands to give an impetus in leaping) are a pair of small club-shaped organs on the body of two orders of flying insects that provide info ...

s. The lower calypter is the proximal calypter (synonyms: squama (of some authors), tegula) and the upper calypter is the distal calypter (synonym: squamula). Species of the subsection

Acalyptratae The Acalyptratae or Acalyptrata are a subsection of the Schizophora, which are a section of the order Diptera, the "true flies". In various contexts the Acalyptratae also are referred to informally as the acalyptrate muscoids, or acalyptrates, ...

are noted for lacking calypters.

References

* James Francis McAlpine. ''Morphology and Terminology - Adults''. In: J.F. McAlpine, B.V. Peterson, G.E. Shewell, H.J. Teskey, J.R. Vockeroth, D.M. Wood (a cura di) ''Manual of Nearctic Diptera'', Volume 1. Research Branch, Agriculture Canada, Monograph 27, 1981: 9-64. . (In inglese). * Bernhard Merz, Jean-Paul Haenni. ''Morphology and terminology of adult Diptera (other than terminalia)''. In: László Papp, Béla Darvas (a cura di) ''Manual of Palaearctic Diptera. Volume 1: General and Applied Dipterology''. Budapest, Science Herald, 2000: 22–51. . (In inglese). * Ermenegildo Tremblay. ''Entomologia applicata''. Volume III Parte I. 1ª ed. Napoli, Liguori Editore, 1991. . Calyptratae Fly biology Insect anatomy {{insect-anatomy-stub