Tachinidae. 61 



VI. Sarcophaginae. 



No ventral membrane. Second abdominal sternite lying free 

 on the lateral margins of tlie tergite, the other sternites likewise 

 visible, or more or less to quite concealed. Fifth sternite in male 

 often specially developed and deeply cleft. Frons in female generally 

 broader than in male, or of eqiial breadth in both sexes, but eyes 

 never toiiching. Arista long-plumose or shorter plumose in basal 

 half or a little more, or the arista bare. Frontal bristles reaching to 

 insertion of antennæ or lower, crossing, in female or in both sexes 

 a reclinate and more or less oiitwards directed bristle above, and 

 orbitals present in female or in both sexes; in some cases more 

 reclinate bristles present. Eyes bare. Exterior posthumeral bristle 

 placed higher than or as high as præsutural bristle. Acrostichals 

 more or less reduced, sometimes none or only a præscutellar pair, and 

 generally no præsutural intraalar bristle and two postsutural. Two 

 to four sternopleural bristles. Propleura bare. Postalar declivity 

 with more or fewer hairs in Sarcophaga and Blaesoxypha, otherwise 

 bare. Upper part of postscutellum not convex; scutellum as a rule 

 with three marginal bristles on each side, the apical as strong as the 

 others in both sexes, or the apical small or wanting in male and 

 wanting in female. Abdomen with excavation on second segment 

 not reaching the hind margin or only in male. Discai angle with a 

 fold or veinlet. 



The genera fall into two natural groups: Sarcophagini and 

 Miltogrammini. 



The species of Sarcophagini are as larvæ mainly saprophagous, 

 but some also parasitic on Acridiids and, as it seems, on Lepidoptera 

 and other insects, and the species are rather polyphagous, the same 

 species may be saprophagous and parasitic; some species have been 

 bred from spider-eggs and from snails. The species of Miltogrammini 

 live as larvæ in nests of burrowing bees and fossorial wasps and 

 feed upon the food stored here. 



Table of Genera. 



1. Antennal arista plumose (except in Brachycoma); 

 male with frons more or less narrow and without 

 orbitals (except Sarcophila, the male of whicli has 

 a very broad frons) ; more than two sternopleural 

 bristles {Sarcophagini) 2. 



