Stratiomyidae

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Soldier flies

Chloromyia speciosa

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Diptera
Suborder:	Brachycera
Family:	Stratiomyidae Latreille, 1802

Subfamilies

Antissinae
Beridinae
Chiromyzinae
Chrysochlorininae
Clitellariinae
Hermetiinae
Nemotelinae
Pachygastrinae
Parhadrestiinae
Raphiocerinae
Sarginae
Stratiomyinae

The soldier flies (Stratiomyidae, sometimes misspelled as Stratiomyiidae), are a family of Diptera (historically placed in the now-obsolete group Orthorrhapha). The family contains about 1,500 species in about 400 genera worldwide. Adults are found near larval habitats. Larvae can be found in a diverse array of situations mostly in wetlands and damp places in soil, sod, under bark, and in animal excrement and decaying organic matter. They are diverse in size and shape, though they commonly are partly or wholly metallic green, or somewhat wasplike mimics, marked with black and yellow or green and sometimes metallic. They are often rather inactive flies which typically rest with their wings placed one above the other over the abdomen.

1 Family characteristics
- 1.1 Imago
- 1.2 Larvae and pupae
2 Species lists
3 Identification
4 External links

[edit] Family characteristics

[edit] Imago

Very small to large (3–20 mm long); 3 segmented antennae with the terminal segment annulated; ocelli present; lower orbital bristles absent. post-vertical orbital bristles absent; vibrissae absent; mouthparts - proboscis short , not piercing, maxillary palps 1 or 2 segmented; wings with a small discal cell or discal cell absent, nosub-apical cell, closed anal cell, costa not extending around the entire wing, sub-costa reaching the costa independently of vein 1, or joining vein 1 close to where it joins the costa; the leading edge veins often markedly stronger than the rest; vein 6 present and reaching the wing margin. Vein 7 present not reaching . Tibiae without spurs.

For a pictorial atlas explaining these terms go to [1]

[edit] Larvae and pupae

Larvae aquatic or terrestrial; saprophagous, mycophagous, or predatory; hemicephalic. Pupa without a puparium.

[edit] Species lists

[edit] Identification

Literature for Palaearctic Fauna

Lindner, E., 1938, Vol 18. Stratiomyiidae. In: Lindner, E. (ed.): Die Fliegen der Palaearktischen Region. Stuttgart, 4(1):1-218.
Dusek J. and Rozkosny R. 1963-1967 Revision mitteleuropäischer Arten der Familie Stratiomyidae (Diptera) mit besonderer Berücksichtigung der Fauna der CSSR. 60 (1963) : 201-221; 61 (1964) :360-373; 62 (1965): 24-60; 64 (1967): 140-165.
Acta entomologica bohemoslovaca 71: 322-341 + 1 Tafel.; Prag. Keys to subfamilies, genera and species. In German.
Nartshuk, E. P., 1988, 36. Family Stratiomyidae. Part I Diptera and Siphanoptera (In: Bei-Benko, G. Ya.,) Mycetobiidae-Therevidae. Keys to The Insect of European Part of The USSR. Russia, Vol. 5(2): 700-738.
Rozkošný, R., 1973, Stratiomyidae of Denmark and Fennoscandia. Lyneborg L. (ed.). Denmark, pp:1-139.
Rozkošný, R., 1983, A Biosystematic Study of The European Stratiomyidae (Diptera). Vol.2. Clitellariinae, Hermetiinae, Pachygasterinae and Bibliography. Series Entomologica, 21. Dr.W. Junk, The Hague, pp.1-401.
Rozkošný, R., Nartshuk, E. P., 1988, Family Stratiomyidae. In: Soós, Á. & Papp, L. (eds.): Catalogue of Palearctic Diptera. Amsterdam & Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, pp 42-96.