XL. FAMILY SAPROMYZID^. 



Small species, seldom more than seven millimeters in 

 length. Head as broad or a little broader than the tho- 

 rax; front with one or two bristles on each side anteriorly 

 to those of the vertex; post vertical bristles convergent. 

 Antennae usually porrect, the third joint more or less 

 elongated. Face without vibrissse on the oral mar- 

 gin. Abdomen short ovate. Legs never elongate. Auxil- 

 iary vein of wings distinct; cross-veins never approxi- 

 mated; basal cells never obsolete. 



P I include in this family the Sapromyzidae and Lonchae- 

 idse of Loew, Becker and other writers, since I believe 

 that the relationship between such genera as Palloptcra 

 and Sapromyza is evident, though I appreciate the differ- 

 ences, and am not very insistent upon their union. The 

 wings of both the Lonchaeinae and Sapromyzinae are often 

 pictured. Czerney would include the Ochthiphilinae 

 ( Agromyzidae) in this family. 



The larvae of Sapromyza live in decaying vegetable 

 matter; they are slender, with two distinct mouth-hook- 

 lets; the entire body, except the anterior segments rough- 

 ened by very small bristles. The segments are distinctly 

 constricted, the penultimate segment with four conical 

 processes in a transverse row, the terminal segment with 

 two three-jointed processes, between which is the cylin- 

 drical stigmatic tube. In Lonchcsa there are no conical 

 processes on the penultimate segment, and the stigmatic 

 tubes or processes are small and wart-like. 



TABLE OF GENERA. 



i. Tibiae without preapical bristle; front with a single orbital bristle; 



ovipositor horny and flattened (Lonch&intz}. ... 2 



Tibiae with a distinct preapical bristle; two fronto-orbital bristles; 



ovipositor not horny, ending tnbe-like (Sapromyzince) . 3 



288 



