/3 -/ ^ 3 ^ 



605. 

 SAPROMYZA LITURA. 



Order Diptera. Fam. Muscidae. 



Type of the Genus, Musca flava Linn. 



Sapromyza Fall., Meig., Curt., Macq. — Palloptera Fall. — Phyllo- 

 myza Hal. — Terenidae Desv. — Musca Linn., Fab. 

 Antennce short, nutant and divaricating, inserted a little above 

 the middle of the face, 5-jointed, basal joint small and cup- 

 shaped, 3rd large and bowl-shaped, the margin ciliated with 

 bristles, a few very long, 3rd joint large oval, compressed and 

 pubescent, 4th minute, attached towards the base of the 3rd 

 on the upper side, 5th a long pubescent or plumose seta (3). 

 Labrmn short stout and pointed (lb). 

 Tongue considerably shorter, slender and acute (c). 

 MaxillcE very short, clavate and truncated obliquely (e). Palpi 

 very long, clavate and bristly inside (/). Lip very short and 

 thick, terminated by 2 dilated hairy lobes (g). 

 Head hemispherical : face inclining inward, flat and naked : eyes re- 

 mote, suborbicular : ocelli minute, forming a compact triangle at the ■ 

 base of the crown (2 * front view, 2 the profile) . Thorax oblong : 

 scutellum trigonate-ovate. Abdomen short, ovate-conic, 6-jointed. 

 Wings very long and ample, incumbent, deflexed or vibrating. Hal- 

 teres small and capitate. Legs short and bristly : thighs the stout- 

 est, anterior with a series of long rigid bristles outside (8) .• tibiae 

 slightly clavate, with a strong bristle outside a little above the apex, 

 the intermediate pair having another inside at the apex : tarsi as long 

 as the tibice, densely bristly beneath, especially the hinder pair, basal 

 joint elongated, the remainder short: claws very much hooked : pul- 

 villi small. Obs. the dissections are from S. litura. 



LiTURA Hoff.^Meig. v. 5. p. 266. No. 20.— Curt. Guide, Gen. 1295. 

 20. 



Pale ochreous, bristles and hairs black ; eyes castaneous : head 

 yellow-ochre ; seta of antennae pubescent, palpi and 8 dots on 

 the head black, viz. 2 on the cljrpeus, 3 intensely black ones 

 across the face, and 3 on the crown. Thorax bristly, with 4 

 grey stripes on the back, and 2 narrow ones on each side ; 

 scutel with the sides of the same colour ; abdomen piceous, 

 ferruginous on the back : wings very pale yellow, nervures 

 ochreous, black at their extremities and surrounded by pale 

 black, forming a large lunate mark at the apex, and extending 

 nearly the whole length of the 3rd and 4th longitudinal nervures, 

 as well as the transverse one connecting them : hairs on the legs 

 very short and black. 

 In the Cabinets of Mr. Dale, Mr. Haliday, and the Author. 



The Sapromyzae are said to live on putrid substances and on 

 Fungi : they are placed between Dryomyza and Ortalis by 



