The soldier flies or Stratiomyidae are a fairly large family of lower brachycerous Diptera, showing an inordinate amount of morphological diversity for a single family, as well as a fair diversity of habits. Many adult stratiomyids are brightly coloured (illustrated on the 3 colour plates in the book) and moderately large, but probably due to their relative scarcity in the field, they have not attracted the same degree of study that other large fly families, such as the Asilidae and Syrphidae, have received. This world catalogue, by making the available taxonomic and nomenclatural information available in a single place, will hopefully stimulate further study of this fascinating family.