CONOPID^E. 



401 



abdomen of Bombus. It is also said by St. Fargeau to live in 

 the nest of Vespa, and Conops Jlavipes was bred, according to 

 Curtis, from the body of Osmia. 



Mr. S. S. Saunders has observed in Epirus the habits of a 

 species which lives in the abdomen of Pompilus audax Smith. 

 The fly lays its eggs in June in the adult Pompilus, probably 

 ovipositing between the abdominal segments. During August 

 the larvae become fully grown, probably in ten or fifteen days. 

 The puparium is oval, of an uniform, deep, piceous hue, and the 

 fly works its way through the first and second abdominal rings 

 of the wasp, whose abdomen then breaks in two. Saunders 

 also found a similar Conops larva in Sphex flavipennis, cap- 

 tured at the same time and place as the Pompilus ; also a 

 smaller species of 

 Conops was bred 

 from the abdomen 

 of Odynerus. 

 We have also 

 bred a species 

 from one of two 

 species of Bom- 

 bus, either B. 

 vagans or B. fer- 

 vidus. 



In Myopa the antennal bristle is subterminal, and the probos- 

 cis is twice elbowed. Westwood has observed Myopa atra fly- 

 ing about sand-banks in which were the burrows of various bees, 

 and by other authors the genus is said to be parasitic on bees. 



The genus Pipunculus represents a small group in which 

 the head is almost entirely occupied by the eyes, the front and 

 face being exceedingly narrow, while the antennae have a basal 

 bristle. 



Loew considers the genus JScenopinus as the type of a dis- 

 tinct family, hinting at its relationship with the Bombyliidae. 

 The genus is known by the short antennae, without style or bris- 

 tle ; and by the short proboscis with its broad fleshy end. The 

 larvae are long, very slender, much like those of Thereva, and 

 the pupa is much like that of Leptis. Mr. Sanborn has reared 

 S.pallipes Say (Fig. 322 ; a, larva). The larva is found under 

 26 



Fig. 322. 



