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yesterday a witnessed a fem Sarcophagid, one of the larger species, squatting on the soil. When it flew away, it left behind a single small maggot ca. 2 mm, which quickly buried into the soil.
Could this be one of those species that develop in earthworms?

Louis

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Many are; especially the earthworm-predators. Females fly around 2-3cm above the ground searching for the heaps of worm-excrements. Finding them, they land and walk over them. Sometimes they seem to go without action, sometimes they deposit living larvae. Larvae show negative geotropis and go down immediately. Sometimes you can also find females walking on the ground. It is then not always claer if they are looking for ovipositing or for finding food as excrements as they go against the wind.

In a pot I found fresh larvae creeping round in a horizontal plain at a depth of about 5-6cm. On being catched gravid old females frequently deposit larvae on your hand. The number of larvae 'available' does not seem to exceed 30-50.

For many species that predate on snails I have also the impression that Sarcophagidae are viviparous or at least ovo-viviparous.
Jan Velterop,

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Hi Jan,

thanks, I expected you would know this!