180 



proximad of, and in a line with, the main length of the 3rd vein 

 is really the 4th longitudinal,* and that it is coalescent with the 

 3rd vein at about the basal angle formed by the latter (as takes 

 place in two subfamilies of MYCETOPHTI/IDJE t) ; forking afterwards 

 at a varying distance according to the species. The 5th and 6th 

 veins present, and apparently occasionally the 7th posterior cross- 

 vein absent. Upper basal cell present, lower one absent. Anal 

 lobe of wing distinctly angular. 



Range. World-wide. 



Life-history. The metamorphoses of a few species are known. 

 The larvae live in rotting vegetable matter and human ordure, 

 although exceptions appear to occur, as one European species, 

 8. scutellata, Lw., is said to feed on the honey-dew of APHID^ in 

 the autumn. Scatopse larvae are apodal, cylindrical, with two 

 short points on the sides of the thoracic portion, and also on the 

 eight abdominal segments at the base, the last segment terminating 

 in two divergent setae. Most of the species in the perfect state 

 are sluggish in their movements and appear at times in immense 

 swarms ; nearly all the species occurring in England, for instance, 

 having been recorded as swarming in this manner at some time 

 or other. The imagos are found tolerably freely on umbelliferous 

 flowers, on windows of conservatories, in outhouses, near open 

 drains, and mope or less generally distributed. Many are spring 

 species, some autumnal. 



134. Scatopse brunnescens, Brun. 



Scatopse brunnescens, Brunetti, Rec. Ind. Mus. iv, p. 281 (1911). 



5 . Whole body and legs dark shining brown, slightly yellowish, 

 tinged here and there with short whitish pubescence. 



Head : antennae with 2nd scapal joint a little longer than the 1st, 

 'followed by six short, wide, 

 rounded, flagellar joints, with a 

 long (equally broad at its base), 

 conical terminal joint ; the 

 whole antenna with close 

 greyish pubescence. Abdomen 

 Fig. 20. Scatopse brunnescens, Brun., with the dorsum nearly black, 

 wing. the belly dark brownish yellow. 



TFm<7swith 1st longitudinal vein 

 ending much before middle of wing; 3rd ending some distance before 



* Schiner regarded the strong vein proximad of the basal part of the 3rd 

 vein as the anterior cross-vein (" small cross-vein " in Schiner's words). In 

 this case it would resemble Sciara, but the interpretation appears to me open 

 to criticism. The 4th vein nearly alwavs emerges from the base of the wing, 

 or from the base of the 5th. not from the 3rd, in the middle of the wing. 



t MACROCBRIN.E and CEROPLATIN.E. 



