Syrphidae. 33 



near the bulbs which the larvæ attack, and Microdon among 

 ants. — The hibernation seems in most cases to take place in 

 the larval stage, but several species have more than one brood in 

 the year. 



The family of the Syrphidae is very characteristic, and the species 

 cannot well be confounded with species of other families. They ara 

 distinguished by the mouth parts, especially the shape of the labrum, 

 and also of the maxillæ, by the construction of the unsymmetrical 

 male genitalia, the squamulæ and their fringes, the plumula and the 

 venation of the wings, especially the vena spuria and the long anal 

 cell in connection with the closed first posterior cell; also the larvæ 

 are characteristic, as well as the way in which the puparium is opened. 

 From the other cyclorrhaphous flies they are further distinguished by 

 the want (or very rare presence) of bristles on body and legs. As 

 well known they form, together with the Fipunculidae, Platypezidae 

 and Phoridae, the group Aschiza of the Ci/clorrhapha. They have no 

 frontal bladder (though such a one has been stated by Brauer, Gerståcker 

 and Kiinckel d'Herculais) and also no distinct bladder-seam ; the 

 lunula is generally visible above the antennæ, but sometimes not (f. 

 inst. Microdon and Cerioides) ; a rudimentary bladder-seam seems to 

 be present above the lunula, and Verrall thinks that the pit or furrow 

 in front of the jowls is to be interpreted as the ends of the bladder- 

 seam; this is, I think, correct, and then the bladder-seam is most 

 developed in Chilosia and Ferdinandea and here present to near the 

 antennæ, separating off the cheeks (eye-margins) from the epistoma; 

 it is also to be noted that just these two (allied) genera are bristle- 

 bearing. — It is not easy to say anything about the affinities of the 

 family (except that it is related to the Pipunculidae); only in this 

 family we meet the curious branched hairs on the thoracai squamulæ; 

 Girschner in his work over the postalar membrane calls attention to 

 the faet, that the Bombyliidae [Anthrax] have similar flattened hairs 

 on squamula alaris as found in the Syrphids, and that the wings 

 (especially in Bomhylius) show several agreeing features; in this 1 can 

 quite consent, and I may add, that just in Bomhylius we fmd a wing- 

 fold much recalling the vena spuria. On the other hånd I think there 

 are also some affinities to the Dolichopodidae in spite of many diffe- 

 rences; the male genitalia, the way in which the metaepimera are 

 placed, and the antennæ f. inst. show agreeing points. Girschner con- 

 cludes thus: "Jedenfalls haben wir die Syrphiden als cyclorhaphe 

 Endformen eines Entwickelungszweiges zu betrachten, dessen Ursprungs- 

 stelle mit der des Muscidenzweiges nicht zusammenfållt." This may, 

 I think, be quite correct. The similarity between Cerioides and Conops 



3 



