134 



ENTOMOLOGY. 



a large beetle (Rhizotrogus), on which secondary hosts they are ap- 

 parently parasitic. 



Family Midasidae. Antennae club-shaped, the third joint composed 

 of several distinct joints. Midas clavatm Drury. 



Family Asilidae. The robber-flies are large insects, one species 

 being two inches long; third joint of antennas simple; with or with- 

 out bristle or style; and the under lip horny; they are the most sav- 

 age and rapacious of all flies, their beak being well developed. 

 Promaclms fitckii O. Sacken was once ob- 

 served to destroy one hundred and forty-one 

 honey-bees in a day; Laphria resembles 

 humble-bees. Asilus noixs-scotice Macq. ; Erax 

 bastardii Macq. (Fig. 161, b, pupa). 



Family Leptidae. Antennae with the third 

 joint simple, with a simple or thickened 

 styliform bristle; three membranous pads 

 below the claws. Leptix albicornis Say. 



Family Tabanidae. Third joint of the an- 

 tennae annulate, and always without style 

 bristle; eyes large; tegulae large. The 



or 



females of the horse-flies alone bite, the jaws 

 and maxillae being awl-like, rendering the 

 bite painful. Tabanus lineola Fabr., Gliry- 

 sops niger Macq. 



FIG. 161 -Robber fly, Erax 



Family Acanthomeridae. Very large flies, bastardii.- After Riley. 

 with mouth-parts consisting, even in the males, 

 of four bristles. Acantliomera bellardii Bigot. 



Family Stratiomyidse. Third antennal joint 

 annulated; costal vein only reaching the middle 

 of the wing; tibioa not spurred. The larva? live 

 in water, earth, or decaying wood. Fig. 162 

 represents a larva found living in abundance in 

 the alkaline waters of Clear Lake, Cal. Stra- 

 tiomyia pkipes Loew, Sargus decorus Pay. 



Family Ccenomyidae. Ccenomyia pallida Say. 



Family Xylophagidae. Third antennal joint 

 annulated; costal vein encompassing the whole 

 wiug. Xylophagm rufipes Loew. 



The succeeding families belong to Sec- 

 tion 2, Nematocera, in which the antennae 

 are long and many-jointed. 



Family Rb.yph.idae. Three ocelli; wings with 

 a perfect discal cell. RhypJms alte?-nalus Say. 



Family Di~idse. Dixa clavata Loew. 



Family Tipulidae. No ocelli; legs very long. 

 The crane-flies form an extensive group whose 

 larvae live in soil, mould, fungi, and sometimes 

 in the water; they are represented by Trichocera 

 reyelationis Linn., Tipiila trivittata Say, etc. 



Family Psychodidae. Body with long coarse 

 hairs; wings very short and broad. Very small 

 flies seen flying and leaping on windows, etc. Psychodes alternate/, Say. 



FIG. 162. Larva of 

 Stratiomyia. 



