Family Stratiomyidae - Soldier flies

Stratiomyidae Latreille 1802

>250 spp. in ~40 genera in our area(2), ~2,700 spp. in >380 genera worldwide(3)

Overview of our fauna (* –taxa not yet in the guide; classification adapted from (4)):

Family Stratiomyidae

Subfamily Chiromyzinae Inopus

Subfamily Beridinae Actina, Allognosta, Beris, Exaireta

Subfamily Antissinae Exodontha

Subfamily Pachygastrinae *Artemita, Berkshiria, *Borboridea, Cosmariomyia, Eidalimus, Gowdeyana, Neopachygaster, Pachygaster, Zabrachia

Subfamily Clitellariinae Adoxomyia, Cyphomyia, Dicyphoma, Dieuryneura, Euryneura

Subfamily Hermetiinae Hermetia

Subfamily *Chrysochlorininae *Chrysochlorina

Subfamily Sarginae Cephalochrysa, Chloromyia, Merosargus, Microchrysa, Ptecticus, Sargus

Subfamily Nemotelinae Brachycara, Nemotelus

Subfamily Stratiomyinae

2‒18 mm(2), extralimital forms up to 28 mm(5)

Wings at rest are folded scissorlike across abdomen

Wing venation distnctive; the branches of R are rather heavy and are crowded together toward the costal margin of the wing, and the discal cell is small.

Larvae torpedo-shaped and may be flattened, with cuticle of some species firm and tough. Head generally small.

worldwide and throughout NA; by far most diverse in the Neotropics (~1000 spp.)(5)

Larvae mostly in decaying plant matter (leaf litter to rotting fruit); some (esp. Pachygastrinae) under bark of fallen trees; larvae of Nemotelinae and Stratiomyinae are aquatic (in ponds, rivers, tree holes, seepage areas). Some (esp. Stratiomyinae and some Clitellariinae) frequent flowers; adults of Sarginae and Hermetiinae usually near larval food sources(5)

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

Pupation occurs in the last larval skin(2)