haltere

entomology

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Last updated

June 29, 2026

Quick Summary

In entomology, halteres are a pair of club-shaped organs found in dipteran flies (true flies). These are modified hindwings that function as sensory flight stabilizers. They beat in a vertical plane during flight, synchronously with the forewings, and help counteract rotational instability gyroscopically. Receptors located at the base of the halteres detect these movements. The term "prehalter" refers to the squama of a dipterous insect.123

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Diptera
Wings
The hind wings, modified into halteres, have a stalk and a knob, or club, that may be large and heavy relative to the size of the fly. The halteres vibrate up and down in time with the wings and act as gyroscopes in flight. If the fly yaws, rolls, or…
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The hind wings, modified into halteres, have a stalk and a knob, or club, that may be large and heavy relative to the size of the fly. The halteres vibrate up and down in time with the wings and act as gyroscopes in flight. If the fly yaws, rolls, or…
Read More

insect
Touch
…well developed in small clublike halteres (the modified hind wings of dipterans), serve as strain gauges and enable the fly to control its equilibrium in flight.
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…well developed in small clublike halteres (the modified hind wings of dipterans), serve as strain gauges and enable the fly to control its equilibrium in flight.
Read More