Stratiomyidae

The soldier flies (Stratiomyidae, sometimes misspelled as Stratiomyiidae, from Greek στρατιώτης - soldier; μυια - fly) are a family of flies (historically placed in the now-obsolete group Orthorrhapha). The family contains over 2,700 species in over 380 extant genera worldwide. Adults are found near larval habitats, which are found in a wide array of locations, mostly in wetlands, damp places in soil, sod, under bark, in animal excrement and in decaying organic matter. They are diverse in size and shape, though they commonly are partly or wholly metallic green, or somewhat wasplike mimics, marked with black and yellow or green and sometimes metallic. They are often rather inactive flies which typically rest with their wings placed one above the other over the abdomen.

Etymology

In English, the Stratiomidi are commonly called soldier flies, in German waffenfliegen ("armed flies"). In the Italian language Duméril (1832) used the common names term "stratiomidi" and "mosche armate" in the Dizionario delle Scienze Naturali (Dictionary of Natural Sciences).