Stratiomyidae

Soldier flies
Chloromyia speciosa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Hexapoda
Class:	Insecta
Subclass:	Pterygota
Infraclass:	Neoptera
Superorder:	Endopterygota
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. From Greek στρατιώτης - soldier; μυια - fly), 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.

Family characteristics

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]

Larvae and pupae

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

Terrestrial larva of a Stratiomyidae species

Species lists

• Palaearctic
• Nearctic
• Australasian/Oceanian
• Japan

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., 1982, A Biosystematic Study of The European Stratiomyidae (Diptera). Vol.1. Introduction, Beridinae, Sarginae and Stratiomyinae. Series Entomologica, 21. Dr.W. Junk, The Hague, pp.1-401.
• Rozkošný, R., 1983, A Biosystematic Study of The European Stratiomyidae (Diptera). Vol.2. Clitellariinae, Hermetiinae, Pachygasterinae and Bibliography. Series Entomologica, 25. Dr.W. Junk, The Hague, pp.1-431.

• 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.

Literatur for World Fauna

• Woodley, N. E., 2001. A World Catalog of the Stratiomyidae (Insecta: Diptera). Myia 11: 1-473. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Stratiomyidae

• Tree of Life: Stratiomyidae
• Picture gallery from Diptera.info52 photographs
• Picture gallery from BugGuide