Insects 183 



and Asphondylia shepherdiae Felt on Lepargyraea at Lake Eldora. 

 Many new Cecidomyiid galls doubtless await discovery. 



The Stratiomyiidae, or Soldier-flies, have about 24 known 

 Colorado species, but they do not attract much attention. They 

 may usually be recognized by the small cell or enclosed space 

 near the middle of the wing. Frequently the abdomen is broad, 

 and prettily colored or ornamented. The Tabanidae, or Horse- 

 flies and Deer-flies, are large insects, too well known to all ranch- 

 men. Their eyes are beautifully marked with colored bands, 

 which fade after death. The larvae are fat worm-like creatures 

 living in wet places. We have 23 recorded Colorado species, of 

 which 13 belong to Tabanus, which contains the ordinary large 

 horse-flies. The smaller and more elegant species of Chrysops 

 are often very troublesome; thus I was persistently attacked by 

 Chrysops fulvaster of Osten Sacken when collecting fossils in the 

 Roan Mountains. 



The Rhagionidae (Leptidae) are rarely noticed, except the 

 genus Symphoromyia, which persistently sucks blood. Two spe- 

 cies, S. atripes Bigot and S. hirta Johnson, are particularly notice- 

 able in this respect. When gorging themselves on one's hands or 

 face they seem to lose all fear, and may be readily picked off and 

 destroyed. 



The Nemestrinidae, with very extraordinary venation, were 

 apparently common in Tertiary times, as shown by the fossils at 



Nemestrinid Fly 

 Hirmoneura occultator. Found by S. A. Rohwer in the 

 Miocene shales at Florissant. Drawn by Ruth Isensee 



