Studies in African Tachinidae (Diptera).—II

Abstract

In several previously published papers dealing with African Diptera I have described a number of species belonging to the genus Sturmia, Desvoidy, but up to the present time have not had sufficient material available to warrant the preparation of a key to the species, nor have I had an opportunity of studying the species in sufficient detail to decide upon characters of value in their classification. However, since many species were reared and it was desirable to have names for them in order that they might be used in reports by various Entomologists in Africa, a number of the species were described, and it has since been possible to make considerable progress in the study of the whole. As a result a key to the species belonging to this genus is now presented, and it is hoped that it will be of assistance in identifying the representatives of this difficult group.It is further hoped that arrangements may be made in the near future for the publication of a key to the genera of the Tachinidae, since it is obvious that with the very large number of genera described, the description of an additional genus, or even of new species in old genera, conveys little of the true relationships of the forms described and merely adds to the difficulty of making determinations.