XV, FAMILY ACANTHOMERID^. 



Fig. 61. Acanthoniera sp., 9' Venezuela; natural size. 



Very large, stout, bristleless, nearly bare flies. Eyes 

 large, contiguous in the male. Ocelli present. Third 

 joint of the antennae complex, composed of seven seg- 

 ments, with a terminal, often in the male setiform style. 

 Proboscis short, not adapted for piercing, with fleshy la- 

 bella ; palpi two-jointed. Squamae rudimentary. Tibiae 

 without ^spurs ; pulvilli and empodia pad-like. Wings 

 with two submarginal and five posterior cells, the fourth 

 posterior cell and the anal cell closed. 



But two genera are known in this family, including al- 

 together only about fifteen or sixteen species, all of w r hich 

 are inhabitants of Central and South America. The spe- 

 cies of Acanthomera are found in forests, alighting on 

 trunks of trees, according to Mr. Champion; otherwise 

 their habits, \vhether of the adult or immature stages, 

 are but little known. Brauer has figured and described 

 the larvae of A. frauenfeldii. They are cylindrical, thick 

 and short. The last segment is firmly chitinized above 



