102 



HANDBOOK OF ANTS, BEES, ETC. 



wasp-like creature, and is, indeed, mistaken by many people for a 

 wasp. It is a very useful insect, feeding largely on aphides and 

 plant lice, and should therefore be encouraged by every 

 horticulturist. 



Family 30, Conopidce. — The larva of most of these insects are 

 parasitic on Orthoptera and Hy77wwptera. Many species have a 

 resemblance to wasps in appearance, being striped with yellow and 

 black. The typical genus, Co7tops, are slender flies measuring half 

 an inch in length. 



Family 31, Pipunculidce, — These are black or brown insects. 

 The head is large and round, generally broader than the thorax. 

 The larvm are mostly parasitic on other insects. The flies may 

 often be seen in great swarms in shady places in the vicinity of 

 hedges, in lanes, etc. 



Family 32, Flaiypezidcd.^-\^h.is family contains many beautiful 



Fig. 145. — Eristalis Simili (Mug.) 



flies. Great numbers of them are marked with orange and silver 

 and black. The larvce inhabit fungi. 



Family 33, ^strides. — The Bot Flies are well known on account 

 of the annoyance they cause to cattle. They lay their eggs upon 

 the hides of the animals, and the larvce^ when hatched, make their 

 way under the skin, and there take up their abode, living on the 

 juices of their unfortunate host. It is estimated that the loss 

 occasioned by these troublesome pests amounts to millions of 

 pounds in the British Isles alone. The best-known species is pro- 

 bably yEstriis bovis, which infests the ox. The cattle are so well 

 aware of the danger attending the presence of this insect, that as 

 soon as it appears near them, the whole herd exhibits the most 

 unmistakable signs of terror, rushing about their pasture with 

 their tails in the air, and in case of need taking refuge in water, 

 where the fly will not follow them. Miss E. A. Ormerod has 



