134 



NORTH AMERICAN DIPTERA 



Family Stratiomyidse — The Soldier Flies 



Small to moderately large, nearly 

 bare or thinly pilose flies, without 

 bristles. 



Head usually short, sometimes pro- 

 duced either at or below the antenna, 

 usually wider than the thorax; ocelli 

 present; eyes dichoptic in the females, 

 usually holoptic in the males; proboscis 

 short, never longer than the headheight, 

 palpi two segmented or rudimentary. 

 Antennae with three to ten segments, the 

 third always annulate and usually bear- 

 ing an apical style or arista or a dorsal 

 arista. Thorax never strongly convex, 

 often elongate; scutellum often with 

 spines, tubercles or projections on the 

 margin. Abdomen composed of five to 

 seven segments, variable in shape, some- 

 times short and very broad or long and 

 narrow, rarely petiolate. Legs thinly 

 soft haired; pulvilli and empodium pad- 

 like, the tibige without spurs. Costal 

 vein not reaching Ijeyond the tip of the 

 Cyphomyia species. wing, the veins crowded anteriorly, the 



posterior ones weak; discal cell present and of characteristic shape; four 

 or five posterior cells and one or two sul)marginals; anterior branch of 

 third vein short and often indistinct or wanting. 



The name "soldier flies" has been given to this family because of 

 their conspicuous markings. Most of the species may be found on 

 flowers, some of them hover, while others may be found on foliage and 

 in long grass near water. 



The larva? are predaceous or live in decaying vegetation, under 

 bark, in rotting fruit, etc. A few species are confined to the sea coast 

 while others occur in fresh water or mud. 



I have adopted a number of changes in the nomenclature, and, as 

 I do not use the names proposed in Meigen's "1800" paper EulaUa 

 does not replace the well-known Odontomyia. The name Stratinnijiia 

 is an emendation of the original si)elling, Stratiomijs, and not only 



