636 
DIPTERA e 
Sapromyzid^e. 
Small rather short-bodied flies usually shiny and coloured blackish blue 
or yellow, the female with a rather long slender ovipositor. The head 
as broad as the thorax , third joint of the antennce generally large and 
fairly long. Wings often clouded. 
As their name implies the larvae of this family feed on decaying 
matter, and are usually found in rotten vegetable stuff. Little is known 
about the Indian species, but fig. 420 represents a fairly common blue- 
black Lonchcea sometimes seen sitting on leaves in the neighbour¬ 
hood of excrement. Species of the other chief genus of the family, Sap- 
xomyza, also occur in India, but do not seem to be common. For Asiatic 
species the writing of Kertesz (Tezmeszetraji Fuzetek, Yols. XX— 
XXIII) and Czerney, Genera Insect or um, Lauxanince, may be consulted. 
Helomyzim. 
Small flies of greyish or yellowish colour. The antennce short , the third 
joint rounded. Wings large with distinct basal cells and the 
costa usually bristly. 
The flies of this small and unimportant family deposit their eggs in 
decaying vegetable matter and in the dung of various animals, including 
that of bats living in caves. Van der Wulp lists one species, Helomyza 
maura, Wlk,, from “ East India,” and we have taken a Tephrochlamys 
at Allahabad, but otherwise we know of no record of any Indian species. 
