STKATIOMYIIXE 17 



Family STRATIOMYID^E. 



Head hemispherical or flattened, rather short, usually ahout as 

 broad as thorax, generally bare. Eyes contiguous in rf (occasion- 

 ally very narrowly separated, Saryus, etc.), wide apart in $ ; if 

 hairy in <3 , nearly always bare in $ ; sometimes upper facets 

 enlarged in tf , all facets equal in $ ; posterior orbits often very 

 broad aiid conspicuous. Jb'rons seldom prominent, but lower part 

 of head forming a conspicuous snout in some genera (Nemotelus] ; 

 three distinct ocelli. Proboscis usually short and fleshy, some- 

 times rudimentary, occasionally long aud thin (Nemotelus), rarely 

 conspicuous ; palpi 1- to 3-jointed, iuconspicuous. Antenna? 

 porrect, approximate at base, showing, perhaps, greater diversity 

 of form than in any other family of Diptera, 3-jointed ; 3rd joint 

 annulated, forming apparently several (up to eight) annulations ; 

 an apical style, often very large, or an apical or subapical arista 

 often present. 



Thorax generally quadrangular or roughly obloug or oval, more 

 or less pubescent, moderately or considerably arched ; scutellum 

 semicircular or broadened, unarmed or with 2, 4, 6, or 8 spines, 

 occasionally produced into a prominent erect bluut coue or spine 

 (Monaco, nthomy ia, Ceratothyrea). A strong spine on each side of 

 thorax in some genera (Ephippiwn, Negritomyia). 



Abdomen of five to seven, sometimes eighr, segments ; of very 

 varied shape, globular, much broader than thorax (Pachygastei , 

 Acanthina, Cyphomyia) ; broader and shorter than thorax (Culena) ; 

 quadrate (titratiomyia, Odontomyia) ; oblong or oval, and about as 

 long as thorax (Evaza, Tinda, aud many others) ; or very elongate, 

 linear, cylindrical, or flattened (iSargus, Jlermetia, Stratio- 

 sphecomyia). Genital organs usually inconspicuous. 



Legs normally of moderate length and strength, or rather weak ; 

 destitute of bristles or spines (except for a serration below hind 

 femora in some XYLQMYIXJE) ; generally bare or with pubescence 

 mainly confined to the femora ; tibia? unspurred, except in 

 XYLOMYIN^ and some BEKINJE. 



Wings generally with the characteristic venation of the family 

 (except XYLOMYIN.E and BEHIND) ; anterior veins (subcostal, Isi, 

 2nd, and 3rd longitudinals) crowded together in fore part of wing 

 and the posterior veins very faint, often not reaching wing-margin. 

 In typical genera costa nob reaching wing-tip, ambient vein 

 absent ; 3rd vein simple or forked, fork occurring at some distance 

 beyond discal cell, both branches ending in costa before wing-tip ; 

 discal cell always present, lower side often formed of upper branch 

 of 5th vein, in which case posterior cross-vein absent ; anterior 

 cross-vein present, not distally further than middle of discal cell, 

 joining, except in SAUGINJE, 3rd vein to discal cell. In. CLITEL- 

 LARIIXJE, 2nd vein apparently anastomosed with 3rd or may be 

 considered absent, lu SARGIXJE, anterior cross-vein joining 

 praefurca and discal cell, as 2nd vein originates much later than 



c 



