31 () .M VDAID.i;. 



axillary vein indistinct, perhaps sonietiiDes absent. Alar squainse 

 small, nearly bare of fringe, but larger and with coarse fringe in 

 Mydas ; thoracic squamae absent. 



Life-histonj nminly unknown, except that the larvre are said to 

 live in dectiying wood nnd to resemble those of the AsiLiDiE. 

 Willistou states that the larva of a North American species 

 {Mydas fulvij)es,^-A\ii\\) \)Yeyii upon Coleopterous larvce, and notes 

 the pupa of M. clavatus, Drury. The perfect insects have been 

 accused of being predatory, but there seems to be little decisive 

 evidence on the matter. An Egyptian species is said to be 

 predatory on otlier insects, catching them in the air ; and another 

 species is recorded as parasitic on the larvae of Longicorn beetles 

 { Prionid.t;). 



The MyuAiDii3 occur chiefly in the New World and Australia, 

 only about 15 s])ecies being Palnearctic and six Oriental, of 

 which four are Indian. 



Their peculiar venation differentiates them easily from all other 

 groups, except the JN'emestiunid.'e and Apiocerid.t^. These 

 latter are a small non-Oriental group that has been at various 

 times associated with the Bombyliid.'e, Tiieeevid.'e, and Asilid.i:. 

 Tiiere is some resemblance in the venation of the Mtdaiu-E to 

 that of the NEMKSxiiiNin.T;, but the bodily structure and general 

 facies of the latter are different. 



The presence also \n the Nemestiiixid.e of what has been 

 conveniently though incorrecth^ termed the "diagonal vein" will 

 also immediately separate that family from the present one. 



Verral! has carefully analysed the systematic position of the 

 present family (Brit. Flies, v, p. 005), and in the same volume 

 (p. 606) has discussed the question of spelling, several authors 

 having adopted Midas instead of Mydas. The exact origin of the 

 generic name is not clear, and he supports Mydas, with the family 

 name Mydaid.'e, and these terms are also adopted in the Kertesz 

 Catalogue and in Williston's Manual. 



Table of Genera. 



Proboscis short; labella terminal, triangular, compressed; 

 hind tibia3 generally with a spur; anal segment in 

 2 without a wreath of tpines , Mydas, F. 



Proboscis long ; hind tibiaj without spur ; anal segment [Gerst. 



in 2 with a wreath of spines ' Leptomydas, 



Genus MYDAS, F. 



Mydas, Fabricins, Ent. Svst. iv, p. 2"j2 (1794) ; Macquart, Hist. Nat. 

 Dipt, i, p. 273 (1834) ; "id., Dipt. Exot. i, pt. 2, p. 10 (1838). 



Genotype, Musca clavata, Drury; by Latreille's designation 

 (1810). 



Head broad, short transverse, as broad as thorax, neck short ; 



