114 DIPTERA OF MINNESOTA. 



apparently these bizarre looking- creatures are more common than with 

 us. 



Fig. 108. Biolysis af'icalis, a striking form from South Africa. From Sharp. 



Aldrich, in speaking of the only species known to occur in North 

 America, Sphyraccphala brcvicornis. Say, says that in the midsummer 

 of 190 1 he found it by the hundreds upon foliage in one of the shady 

 glens adjoining the campus of Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y. He 

 further states that there is nothing to show that the larva has anything 

 to do with the skunk cabbage, as intimated by Comstock. Kellogg, and 

 possibly other American writers. 



Sphyraccphala brcvicornis is found in Minnesota. 



' SEPSIDAE. 



Small, blackish flies with irridescent wings. They live in decay- 

 ing cheese, ham, vegetables, or excrement, about which the adults 

 are frequently seen. Aldrich refers to the adults of Themira pittris, 

 attending plant lice on cottonwood in abundance. A correspondent 

 in Olmstead county, Minnesota, referring to observations made last 

 summer, writes us as follow^s : "Flies of this family were very numer- 

 ous in corn fields, especially in the vicinity of hills that were infested 

 with aphis. They are very active and are continually doing a 'cake 

 walk,' as they promenade up and down the corn leaves, pluming them- 

 selves occasionally, and they showed little fear, allowing themselves 

 to be taken by inverting a vial over them." 



The "Cheese Mite" or "skipper," of which we show an illustration 

 of the adult, Fig. 109 is a good illustration of this group. The act 



