86 Phoridae. 



in the year; not few species may hibernate or be able to hibernate 

 as imago. 



The family of Phoridae is very characteristic ; the high thorax 

 gives most of the species a curious, humpbacked appearance, and 

 they are easily known by the pecuHar venation of the wings. The 

 place of the family in tlie system has been much debated; they have 

 been considered as related to the Mycetophilidae^ partly on account 

 of the wing-venation and partly because of the spinulosity of the 

 bristles, otherwise only found in the said family; the wing-venation 

 is for the rest more like what is found in Bihionidae (and for this 

 reason, I think, Fabricius placed Dohrniphora florea in that family), 

 it is especially similar to the venation in Apistes, but I think this is 

 only a casual similarity. On the other hånd, the Phoridae have been 

 placed at the end of the Cyclorrhapha near the Borboridae. Osten 

 Sacken thinks that they are nearly related to the Lonchopteridae and 

 thinks they are not Cyclorrhapha^ and Verrall is of the same opinion. 

 Brues (Biol. Bull. XII, 1907) thinks also that they are related to the 

 Lonchopteridae^ but with affmities also to Borboridae and Hippobo- 

 scidae. I am not able to express any certain view about the question 

 but shall only say that I think the Phoridae are not at all related 

 to the Mycetophilidae or Bibionidae, as they are no doubt belonging 

 to the Cyclorrapha but rather related, however, to the Lonchopteridae. 

 The natural arrangement of the families here might be the Loncho- 

 pteridae at the end of the Ortorrhapha and the Phoridae beginning the 

 Cyclorrhapha. In a recent paper (Revista di Se. Nat. Natura VII, 

 1916, 174) Bezzi includes Braula as a suhfamily in the Phoridae^ but 

 as well shown by Schmitz (Wien. Ent. Zeitg. XXXVI, 1917, 179) 

 this is erroneous. 



The species of Phorids occur especially on leaves of bushes and 

 in low herbage in woods, generally in damp localities; they are here 

 seen running about in a characteristic jerking or hopping manner 

 which makes them at once recognizable, and they are often present 

 in large numbers; when chased they also fly, but generally only for 

 a short distance; they are also found on the dead leaves on the ground 

 and some species are seen on flowers, especially on umbelHfers. Some 

 few species may be seen dancing in the air at trees as the males of 

 Phora and the females of Phalacrotophora. Under carrion several 

 species are generally found, present here for egg-deposition; some 

 few species occur indoors and are seen in our houses on windows, 

 especially the common A. riifipes, but under certain circumstances 



