Report of tee State Entomologist 229 



The Family of Syrphidse. 



The family of flies known as Syrphidce, from one of its principal 

 genera, Syrphus, is one of the largest among the Diptera,* and consists 

 largely of gayly colored and prettily ornamented flies, which from 

 their habit of frequenting the sweet-scented flowers of the golden- 

 rods, asters, the Canada thistle, etc., are popularly known as "flower 

 flies." They are often to be seen in the bright sunshine of July and 

 August poised on rapidly vibrating wings, like the hawk moths and 

 humming birds, over or near the blossoms that they frequent, and like 

 them, suddenly darting away, if alarmed. From their peculiar motion, 

 some of the English writers discourse of them under the appropriate 

 name of " hover-flies." A prominent color among them is a brilliant 

 yellow, displayed in conspicuous bands and spots and lines. Some of 

 the species show a striking resemblance to bees, wasps, and hornets, 

 and are doubtless often mistaken for them. Any one not an entomolo- 

 gist, upon being shown a specimen of Volucella evecta Walker, or of 

 Eristalis flavipes Walker, would, without hesitation, pronounce it a 

 bumble-bee. Temnostoma alternans Loew, might easily at a little dis- 

 tance, even by one familiar with insects, be confounded with the 

 irascible little " yellow- jacket," Vespa diaholica Sauss. I have seldom 

 taken the large and beautiful Spilomyia fusca Loew from the blos- 

 soms of the Clematis without looking closely to see whether it 

 were not the white-faced hornet, Vespa maculata. The rare Geria 

 abbreviatella Loew has been brought to me from the trunks of the 

 balsam poplar, as a prettily marked wasp showing a peculiar 

 running habit: its resemblance to Odynerus Philadelphice Sauss., is 

 strikingly marked in its two yellow abdominal bands, the yellow 

 lateral s>ots of tne thorax, the yellow-spotted scutellum, the length 

 of the antennae, and in size. Eristalis tenax (Linn.), so closely mimics 

 the drone of the honey-bee that in Europe it is known as the " honey- 

 bee fly." 



Although so large and attractive a family, very little has been 

 learned of the larvae of these flies and their early history. A wonder- 

 ful range of diversity prevails in their appearance, habitat, food, 

 transformations, and habits, which will afford an ample and interesting 

 field for study. In consideration of the excellent monograph of the 

 Syrphidae recently prepared by Dr. Williston, at the request of 

 the Smithsonian Institution and published by the Department of the 

 Interior, we may expect that increased attention will henceforth be 

 given to this interesting family. 



* About two thousand species are catalogued from the whole world, of which over 

 three hundred are from North America north of Mexico. 

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