122 



DIPTERA OF MINNESOTA. 



some of the species are found in cow dung, some, S. fnrcata, in the 

 excrement of swine, and others in the stems of plants. The larva of 



Fig. 117. Scatofhaga furcata, one of the Dung Flies. Original. 



S. stercoraria, a practically cosmopolitan species, "lives everywhere 

 in the excrement of human beings, in that of the horse and of cows." 

 Aldrich lists ii8 species as having been taken in North America. 

 Minnesota species as far as secured are : Cordyhira confusa, Loew. ; 

 C. varipes. Walk.; C. variahUis, Loew.; Scatophaga furcata, Say; 

 S. stercoraria, Linn. 



ANTHOAIYIDAE. -i 



A large family (over 300 species in North America) of very 

 common flies, blackish or grayish for the most part, containing, by the 

 way, some important pests, notably the Cabbage Maggot Fly, the 

 Onion Fly, etc. One variety mines the leaves of beets. Many species 

 of this family resemble superficially the common house fly, and are 

 frequently mistaken for them. The student, however, can readily 

 tell them from house flies with the use of a lense, for in Anthomyids 

 the first posterior cell is widely open near the apex of the wing, while 

 in the house fly the same cell in much narrowed, almost closed. 



Anthomyids are not at all uncommon inside of the house on win- 

 dows. They are among our most abundant flies, found almost every- 

 where, in garden, field, woods and meadows. 



The Cabbage Maggot, which is the larva of Phorhia brassicae. 

 mines in the roots of cabbages, cauliflower and radishes, and has caused 



