We identify 709 arc-shaped mid-infrared nebula in 24 \mu m Spitzer Space Telescope or 22 \mu m Wide Field Infrared Explorer surveys of the Galactic Plane as probable dusty interstellar bowshocks powered by early-type stars .
About 20 % are visible at 8 \mu m or shorter mid-infrared wavelengths as well .
The vast majority ( 660 ) have no previous identification in the literature .
These extended infrared sources are strongly concentrated near Galactic mid-Plane with an angular scale height of \sim 0.6° .
All host a symmetrically placed star implicated as the source of a stellar wind sweeping up interstellar material .
These are candidate “ runaway ” stars potentially having high velocities in the reference frame of the local medium .
Among the 286 objects with measured proper motions , we find an unambiguous excess having velocity vectors aligned with the infrared morphology — kinematic evidence that many of these are “ runaway ” stars with large peculiar motions responsible for the bowshock signature .
We discuss a population of “ in-situ ” bowshocks ( \sim 103 objects ) that face giant H ii regions where the relative motions between the star and ISM may be caused by bulk outflows from an overpressured bubble .
We also identify \sim 58 objects that face 8 \mu m bright-rimmed clouds and apparently constitute a sub-class of in-situ bowshocks where the stellar wind interacts with a photo-evaporative flow from an eroding molecular cloud interface ( i.e. , “ PEF bowshocks ” ) .
Orientations of the arcuate nebulae exhibit a correlation over small angular scales , indicating that external influences such as H ii regions are responsible for producing some bowshock nebulae .
However , the vast majority of this sample appear to be isolated ( 499 objects ) from obvious external influences .