98 



DIPTERA OF MINNESOTA. 



Pelastoneurus vagans, Loew, So. Dak. ; Liancalus hydro [>hiliis, Aid., 

 So. Dak.; L. genualis, Loew; Sccllus, sp.; Neurigona carbonifer, 

 Loew. 



LONCHOPTERIDAE, 



Spear-zvingcd Flies. 



Very minute, brownish flies, with apex of the wings pointed, sug- 

 gesting a spear head. There are no cross veins in the wings. Al- 

 though there is but one genus in 

 this family, the individuals are com- 

 mon, and to be seen all summer in 

 damp places, along shady brooks 

 and elsewhere. The maggots live 

 on the ground vmder vegetable mat- 

 ter. Three species only occur in 

 North America. 



Fig. 91. 



Wing of a Spear-winged Fly. 

 After Comstock. 



SYRPHIDAE, 



Syrphus-Flics. 



This is an enormous and most interesting family ; over 700 known 

 species occur in North America, and we list 56 species in Minne- 

 sota. There are probably at least 3,000 species over the entire world. 

 For the most part they are of moderate or large size, some of the 

 Minnesota species being an inch or more long, while on the other 

 hand some are quite small. Some are thickly covered with hair, and 

 so marked as to bear' a close resemblance to bumble bees ; others so 

 cleverly imitate honey bees or wasps, barring the absence of the 

 second pair of wings, that the tyro is completely deceived. Black 

 and yellow are the predominating colors, the abdomen being fre- 

 quently banded with the latter color. 



They are found everywhere, in garden, field and wood, frequently 

 seen darting from flower to flower or leaf to leaf, ready to oviposit 

 amongst the plant lice found thereon, which lice later affojd food for 

 the Syrphus maggots hatching from the eggs. Or, as in the case of 

 some species, they frequent the neighborhood of filthy water, their 



