Explanation of Names
Sarcophagidae is named after the genus Sarcophaga, which gets its name from the Greek for "flesh-eater". See that page for details.
Numbers
about 385 species in 49 genera in North America listed at
nearctica.com
3 subfamilies:
Miltogramminae (=Miltogrammatinae)
Identification
Similar to blowflies, but generally blackish with gray thoracic stripes (never metallic).
3 black racing stripes on a gray background
Food
Adults feed on various sugar-containing materials such as nectar, sap, fruit juices and honeydew.
Most larvae feed on some sort of animal material: many are scavengers, feeding on dead animals; some are parasitoids of other insects.
Internet References
pinned adult images of one or more species in 14 genera (Insects of Cedar Creek, Minnesota)
overview of family and two subfamilies, with some representative genera in each (John Haarstad, Insects of Cedar Creek, Minnesota)
