Family Stratiomyidae - Soldier flies

stratiome (French)

Author of family is Latreille, 1802 (ITIS). Also listed as Leach, 1819 (1). From genus Stratiomyia (Macquart, 1838), originally Straiomys (Geoffroy, 1764). New Latin, from Greek stratiotes (στρατιωτησ), a soldier (compare strategy), plus Greek myia (μυια), a fly (1). Borror (2) gives the first root as Greek stratio an army; a soldier. Presumably refers to the striped abdomen of many species, reminiscent of stripes on a soldier's uniform.

Arnett (3) lists 254 North American species. Approximately 1,500 species worldwide.

The most common species are 10-15 mm long, range 2-18 mm (3).

They often superficially resemble wasps in their appearance and behavior. Adults vary in color from black, metallic blue, green or purple, to brightly colored black and yellow patterns. They can be distinguished from wasps by the fact that they have only two, rather than four wings. When at rest, the wings are folded scissorlike across their abdomens. Their antennae are characteristic among flies in having a long terminal segment which, when bent, gives a flagged appearance:

However, many soldier flies have aristate antennae. They are recognized by their wing venation; the branches of the radius are rather heavy and are crowded together toward the costal margin of the wing, and the discal cell is small.

Larvae are elongate, torpedo-shaped and may be flattened, with the skin or exoskeleton of some species firm and somewhat tough. Head is generally small and narrower than the body. The body bears no legs or other prominent features except body spines, although aquatic species may possess a rosette of hairs on the end of their bodies that is used to float on the surface of water to gain access to air and to trap air bubbles that are used for respiration while the larvae are submerged.

Adults usually found on flowers. (4)

Larval forms found in a variety of situations, but generally are in aquatic or semiaquatic habitats . A few species are found in dung or in decaying fruit, vegetables or under the bark of rotting wood. Some larvae are carnivorous.

Aquatic larvae feed on algae, decaying organic matter or on other aquatic organisms.

Pupation occurs in the last larval skin (3).

All the large genera like Odontomyia, Hedriodiscus and Psellidotus and even Stratiomys need a good modern revision in North America. (Comment by Martin Hauser)