204 [September, 



In the notes which foHow I have not inchided any of the published 

 records of Ceratopogoninac sucking the blood of caterpillars or other 

 insects. Knab, in a recent paper (1914), collected several American 

 records of this nature, and the same thing has been reported more than 

 once in EurojDe, though not as yet in Britain. It is a sul)ject which 

 will repay further investigation, though it does not come under the 

 heading of predacity, since these flies do not seem to kill their victims. 

 The flies which have this habit are generally, if not always, members of 

 the genera Forcipoiiii/ia or Dasylieica, and the victims are usually large 

 smooth Lepidopterous larvae. 



Stilobezzia gracilis Hal. — Preying on Cricotopus jmlcJiripes Verr., J { Tri- 

 chocladius montivagus Goet.), Llyn Gwyriant, Snowdon, 13.viii.l914. On 

 Ta»i/pus hinotatus Mji., J, Dartmoiitb, vi.l920: numerous examples; also, in 

 one case, on Orthocladius {Dacti/locladius) sp. inc., c?, at the same time and 

 place. On the same Orthocladius and on two species of Tanytarsus, <^ » 

 Snailbeach, Salop, vii. 11*20. 



Stilobezzia illustris Winn. — Mr. Collin informs me that Mr. Ilanmi has 

 taken a specimen of this species near Oxford in the clutches of a small Empid, 

 so that these predaceous species are not without their enemies. I have never 

 met with S. illustris myself. 



Serronnjia femorata F. — Preying on CricotojJus pulchripes Verr., Llyn 

 Gwynant, Snowdon, 13.vii.l914. On Bezzia ornata Mg., c?, Ffrith, Flintshire, 

 7.vi:1919. Also, in several instances, ou the male of its own species, Dart- 

 mouth, vi.l920. The position of pairing is rather remarkable, the female 

 carrying the male about beneath her, the ventral surfaces of the two insects 

 in contact and the mouth-parts joined. After some time in this position, the 

 female devours her partner, apparently sucking him dry through the mouth- 

 opening. Very similar habits have been recorded by Staeger for a species he 

 identitied as C {Johannsenoinyia) nitida Mcq., but there is reason to doubt the 

 correctness of his determination, as he refers to the " strongly armed front 

 legs " ; moreover, since the male of J. nitida is very much smaller than the 

 female, it is not easy to see how they could occupy a position such as that 

 described by him. 



Johannsenomyia nitida (Mcq.). — Although, as just stated, it may be 

 doubted whether Staeger's observations really applied to this species, there 

 is a strong probability that the female of J. nitida devours its own male. 

 Goetzhebner has recorded (Ann. Soc. Ent. Belg. Iviii, 1914, p. 1) finding many 

 ienmles oi J. nitida with the genital organs of a male attached to the end of 

 the abdomen. 



Psilohelea candidata (Winn.). — Preying on Trichocladius sp., cJ > Corriegills, 

 Arran, vi.l919 : two examples. 



Isohelea lacteipennis (Zett.). — Preying on Cainptocladius ? gracilis Goet., 

 (S and § : many examples ; also, in one or two cases, oa the male of its own 

 species, and in one case on Culicoides ai'cuatus (Winn.), J , Catacol, Arran, 

 vi.l919. On Camptocladius sp., S , Gidleigli, S. Devon, vi.l920. 



