25^ 



NATURE STUDY AND LIFE 



their gorgeous colors. Some appear to be always on the 

 wing, while others may be seen resting lightly on flowers, 

 especially of Helianthus, golden-rod, and asters in the early 



autumn. The fact that renders 

 a study of this family important 

 is that the maggots, or larva;, 

 of many of them feed upon plant 

 lice and other small, soft-bodied 

 insects. In collecting plant lice, 

 especially such as cause great 

 deformity of the leaves, as in 

 case of the currant, elm, and 

 snowball, keep a sharp lookout for slender maggots within 

 the gall-like cavities, and do not mistake them for the 

 insects that do the harm, I^reserve them in the vivarium, 

 supply with aphids, and watch them as they transform, 

 first into hardened pupa cases, and finally into adult 

 syrphus flies. 



The syrphus flies whose larva; are not predaceous feed 

 on wet, decaying wood, manure, and 

 mud, or live in filthy water. Their 

 larva; are the curious "rat-tailed 



Fk;. 105. A S^R^llLS Fly 

 (Enlarged about one-lialf) 



maggots" that the children are sure 



'i'.;. 106. Rat-Taileu 



Maggot of .\ouatic 



Syrphus Fly' 



(After Kiley) 



to bring in with the question : What 

 is that .'' Keep the larva; with appro- 

 priate food and surroundings, and they 

 will soon answer the question them- 

 selves. More than three hundred different species of 

 syrphus flies have been described in the books. Many 

 of them mimic other insects, especially bees, wasps, and 

 bumblebees. 



