122 DIPTERA OF NORTH AMERICA. [PART IV

development

ofthemesosternum.

Such

analogies are to be kept in view, tillfurther discoveries point out their true significance.

The

foregoing description has

been

prepared from

two

speci-

mens

found in

Germany, and which

I

owe

to

Mr. Loew's com-

munication.

They

^{belong, if I}

am

not mistaken, to

Limnohia

alpina ^{Zett. (Dipt.} Scand.

X,

p. 389, 69) ^;

two

other species described

by

the

same

author (1. c. 10, 71)

—

L. virgo

and

juve- nilis

—

apparently belong to the

same

genus.

A

species similar to,or identicalwith the one I

have now

before me, has been seen

by me

in

Mr.

Bellardi's collection in Turin; I believe that it

was

taken in the north of Italy.

No American

species has as yet

been

discovered.

The name

of this genus,introduced hereforthefirsttime,isde- rived

from

6pa',uopyo5,

meaning

extravagantly

fond of

^mountains.

Gen. XI.

ELLIPTERA.

Onesnbmarginalcell; four posterior cells; discalcellopen, coalescent withthe third posteriorcell;prsefurca straight,verycloselyapproximated

tothefirstlongitudinal vein (Tab.I,fig.10). Anteunse16-jointed. Tibise withoutspursatthetip;empodianotdistinct. Forcepsofthemalerather elongated.

As

I

have

not seen this interesting

European

genus, I

borrow

the description partlyfrom its author. Dr. Schiner, partlyfrom a written

communication

of

Mr. Loew

^; the descriptionofthevena- tion Iprepare

from

specimensof

wings which

I

have

before

me

^:'

—

Head

rounded,transverse,rather closelyapplied to the thorax;

rostrum

very

short; antennae of

moderate

length, 16-jointed;

first joint short cylindrical, second globose ; the third

rounded

oval, but little loliger than broad; the following joints almost globose, with shorthairs.

Front broad

; eyes glabrous,rounded.

Thorax

gently

convex

; collare distinct, but short; transverse suture distinct;

metathorax

well developed;

abdomen

narrow, the

two

halvesof the forceps long

and

narrow, leaving an

open

space

between them when

closed; ovipositor short, arcuaDed at the tip.

Feet

long

and

slender; tibite without spursat the tip (the pubescence, as it reaches the tip has sometimes theappear- bnce of spurs,

which do

notexist);

empodia

indistinct.

Wings

folded flatover the body,

when

at rest.

' Severalwings were kindlysent to

me

byDr. Schiuer inaletter.

ELLIPTERA. 123

The

auxiliary vein liarcllj reaches be3'ond the middle of the

wing;

the subcostal cross-vein isat a considerable distance from

itstip (aboutthree lengthsof the great cross-vein); thecosta is distinctlyincrassated

between

thetip of the auxiliary vein

and

the

apex

ofthe

wing

; the tip of the first longitudinal vein isat about the middle of the distance

between

the

two

last-named points; the tip of the second longitudinalvein is again at about themiddle of the distance

between

the tipof the first vein

and

the

apex

of the wing.

The

origin of the second longitudinal veinis ashort distance

beyond

the subcostal cross-vein,

and

ata Considerable distance before the tip of the auxiliary vein; the latterdistance is

more

than doublethelength of the great cross- vein; the praefurca, starting at an exceedingly acuteangle, runs veryclose

by

the first vein;

beyond

the origin of the third vein the interval

between

the first

and

secondveinsis a littlegreater

;

no marginal

cross-vein isperceptible; the

stigma

is rather long.

The

thirdveinhasitsoriginnotfarfromthemiddleof thedistance

between

the tip of the auxiliary

and

that of the firstlongitudinal vein; its first

segment

forms a sharp curve, almost a quarterofa

circle, being

sometimes

provided atthis place with a

stump

of a vein; its latter

segment

is gently arcuated. Firstposterior cell

"shorterthanthe submarginal ; its innerend almostin aline with the third posterior cell,

which

is coalescent wnth the discal cell

;

the secondposterior cell is

about

half thelength ofthe first; the great cross-vein is almost in one line with the inner

end

of the third posterior cell,

sometimes

a little anterior to it; the fifth vein is gentlyarcuated

beyond

the great cross-vein; the sixth

and

seventh veins are nearly straight^; the anal angleof the

wing

is

moderately

projecting.

The

foregoing description applies to the

wing

of

EUiptera omissa

Schiu.

But Mr. Loew

informs

me

that he has discovered a second species, the venation of

which

^is

somewhat

different

;

theauxiliary vein ^is longer;

and

thesubcostal cross-vein isnearly- opposite the inner

end

of the submarginal cell.

EUiptera omissa

isblackish incoloring,

and

has, according to Dr. Schiner,

somewhat

the

appearance

of

Dicranomyia morio

F.

(ormorioides 0. S.); it isnotrare in Austria.

The most

remarkablefeature ofthe venation of this

genus

is the course of the second vein,

which

is so

much approximated

to thefirst, asiftoforeshadow

an

absolute coalescence.

The

position

124 BIPTEUA

or

NORTH AMERICA. [PART

IV.

of the subcostal cross-vein ^is also unusual.

The

incrassation of the costa

beyond

the junction of the auxiliaryvein is likewise observable in

Orimarga, Toxorrhina, and

Antocha.

There

is perhaps acertain relationship

between ElUptera and Orimarga

;

but the latter has distinct einpodia,

which

the former, according

^toall accounts, has not.

On

the other hand, the course of the second vein, the shape of the wing,

and

the absenceof

empodia somewhat remind

us of Antocha.

ElUptera

(from irKsinw, I omit, perhaps

on

account of this

genus having been

overlooked so long) hasbeen firstintroduced

by

Dr. Schiner, in

1863 {Wiener Entomol.

Monataclir. Vol.

YII,

p. 222,

and

also

Fauna

Austr. Eijjtera, II, p. 559).

Gen. Xir.

AXTOCHA.

Onesubraarginal cell; four posteriorcells; a discalcell; auxiliaryvein indistinct,beingcloselyapplied tothe first loiujitndii.al rein; thelattercon- vergenttowardsthe costaandfinallycoalesceiitwithit; thesecondlongi- tudinalvein, atitsorigin,formsanacute anglewiththefirstlongitudinal;

anal angle almost square (Tab. ^I,fig. 11). Wings with a milky tinge.

Antennae16-jointed, rather short. Tibiae without spurs at thetip.

Em-

podiaindistinct. Ungueswith smallteethontheunderside, atthebasis.

Forcepsofthemalewithcomparatively smalldaw-shaped hornyappend- ages (Tab.Ill, fig. 10,forceps ofA.saxicola,from above).

Rostrum

cylindrical,

somewhat

projecting; palpi slender, rather prolonged, althoughshorter

than

the

head

; firstjointelongated, second

and

third shorter; last joint

somewhat

elongated.

The

antennae,- if bent backwards,

would

not reach the root of the

wings

; basal joint short_; joints of the flagellum subglobular, lastjoint

more

elongated; the flagellum isbesetwith short hairs and,

on

the

under

side, with a delicate

pubescence

;

no

distinct verticils.

Eyes

glabrous, almost contiguous

on

the

under

side of the

head

; front narrow. Collare butmoderately developed;

thoracicsuture deep.

Knobs

of the halteresratlier large.

Feet

comparativelyshort, moderatelystout; tibisewithout spurs at the tip;

empodia

indistinct; the

ungues

have small teethonthe

under

side, near the basis, like those of

Dicranomyia

; thelast tarsal jointof the

male

is excised

on

the

under

side in the interval

between

it

and

the preceding joint.

The

comparatively

broad wings

are distinguished

by

theshape of their anal angle,

which

is that of a rectangle

with

a

rounded

point; the course of the

ANTOCHA.

125