Identification
Head somewhat rounded; abdomen relatively long and tapering, legs rather long. The body may be bare or covered with short hairs. Most snipe flies are brownish or gray, but some are black with spots or stripes of white, yellow or green.
Habitat
They are common in woods, especially near moist places, usually found on foliage or grass.
Food
Both adults and larvae are predaceous on a variety of small insects. Most do not bite, but several species of Symphoromyia are common biting pests in the western mountains and coastal areas.
Remarks
The larvae of the genus Atherix are aquatic, the females lay eggs in masses on twigs overhanging streams, into which the larvae fall after they hatch; the female remains on the egg mass and eventually dies there; other females may lay their eggs on this mass until a ball of considerable size is formed, consisting of eggs and dead females.
