A HISTORY OF ESSEX 



individuals and prey upon many different kinds of larvae they destroy 

 prodigious numbers, in some cases only leaving a few survivors out of 

 large broods. The common House-flies (Musca corvina and M. domestica), 

 the Flesh-fly (Sarcophaga carnaria), the blue and green Bottle-flies (Calli- 

 pbora and Lucilia) also belong to this group, which includes many less 

 familiar and more handsome species, such as the brilliant blue Cynomyia 

 mortuorum, occasionally found in some numbers on the coast and less 

 frequently inland ; the large glossy black Mesembrina meridiana, the wings 

 of which have the basal portion conspicuously yellow, and Micropalpus 

 pudicus. This, though by no means rare in the Colchester district, does 

 not seem to have been identified from any other locality at present. 



The Horse Bot-fly (Gastrophilus egui), the Ox Warble-fly (Hypoderma 

 bovis) and the Sheep Nostril-fly (CEstrus ovis) are also now classed with 

 the Muscidee, but the literature devoted to them is already so voluminous 

 and so easily accessible that it need not be added to here. 



The Antbomyidce and the families which follow them include many 

 insects which perform an important part in the economy of nature by 

 the removal of putrefying animal and vegetable substances ; also some 

 that are very destructive to our crops, such as Pegomyia beta, which 

 probably generally feeds on the wild beet (Beta marltlma) on the sea coast, 

 but is occasionally very destructive to mangel-wurzel ; the Celery-fly 

 (Acidia heraclei), the Carrot-fly (Psi/a rosci), and a number of beautiful 

 little insects with spotted wings, among which the rare Gonyglossum 

 wiedemanni and Icterica westermanni are especially noteworthy. 



When no other locality is mentioned in the list the Colchester dis- 

 trict is to be understood. 



A LIST OF THE DIPTERA OCCURRING IN THE COUNTY 



CECIDOMYID.S (continued) 



Cecidomyia trifolii, F. Lw. Maldon (Fitch) 



ulmariae, Bremi. Maldon, Rayleigh 



(Fitch) 



urticae, Ferris. Essex (Fitch) 



veronicas, Vallot. Loughton (Fitch) 

 Diplosis, Lw. 



botularia, Winn. Birdbrook, Maldon 



(Fitch) 



buxi, Laboulb. Birdbrook (Fitch) 



loti, Deg. Epping, Maldon (Fitch) 

 Hormomyia, Lw. 



capreae, Winn. Maldon (Fitch) 



corni, Gir. Heltons Bumpstead (Fitch) 



fagi, Hartig. South Benfleet (Fitch) 



millefolii, Lw. Maldon (Fitch) 



piligera, Lw. Danbury, Epping 



NEMATOCERA 

 PULICID.S 

 Pulex, L. 



irritans, L. 

 CECIDOMYIDA: 



Lasioptera, Mg. 



rubi, Schrk. 

 Asphondylia, Lw. 



pimpinellse, F. Lw. Maldon (Fitch) 



sarothamni, Lw. Epping (Fitch) 

 Cecidomyia, Mg. 



- bursaria, Bremi. Birdbrook (Fitch) 



- ? clausilia, Meade. Maldon (Fitch) 



- crataegi, Winn. Essex (Fitch) 



galii, Lw. Birdbrook, Maldon (Fitch) 



persicarias, L. Burnham (Fitch) 



plicatrix, Lw. "| 



- ? pruni, Kltb. I Maldon (Fitch) 



ranunculi, Bremi. J 



rosaria, Lw. Essex (Fitch) 



rosarum, Hardy. Maldon (Fitch) 



salicis, Schrk. Essex (Fitch) 



sisymbrii, Schrk. Romford (Fitch) 



taxi, Inch. Greenstead (Fitch) 



(Fitch) 

 MYCETOPHILID^: 

 Sciara, Mg. 



thomas, L. 



tilicola, Lw. Maldon (Fitch) 

 Platyura, Mg. 



marginata, Mg. 

 1 80 



