PDF Smithsonian miscellaneous collections - Smithsonian Institution

The systematists of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, according to the work they did on this superfamily. These intermediates are the bridges for the passage of genera, so to speak - the inevitable precursors and consequences in the process of the evolution of genera.

10 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTION- VOL. 51 than an older and well established superfamily whose forms have

TAXONOMY OF MUSCOIDEAX FLIES — TOWNSEND II

12 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 51 differentiated from each other in the adults on account of inter-

But who can say what a species is in nature, and especially what a species is in the Muscoidea. As the names now appear in the Aldrich Catalog, this element of finality is completely missing.

14 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 51 should not be bunched merely because it is difficult to distinguish

The fact that the intergradants occur between two such shapes does not detract from the distinctive character of the shapes themselves. Something may be said about the difficulty of distinguishing between many of the different, but closely similar forms found in the Sparrow.

20 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 51 have taken place more gradually, and the balance between species

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EXTERNAL ANATOMICAL PARTS AND CHARACTERS

TAXONOMY OF MUSCOIDEAN FLIES — TOWNSFND 25 and second joints elongate, short, strongly elongate; or only second joint

26 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 51 below represented by row on parafacials descending nearly as low as oral

TAXONOMY OP MUSCOIDEAN FLIES — TOWNSKXD 2Q, 1) Ventral plates free, or not so; or that of second segment in both sexes

30 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 51 of the specially developed senses, should afford the most important

TAXONOMY OF MUSCOID^AN FLIES — TOWNSEND 31 either mechanical or sensory, in the economy of the adult insect

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What light does this function of the arista shed on the question of his nudity, pubescence or fertility. This elongation of the basal joints indicates an increased freedom of movement of the arista.

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In the Culicidae and possibly other groups of nemocerans, the antennal hairs are auditory. In Diptera, the nerves supplied to the leash are next in size to the optic nerve, the latter being the largest nerve in the body.

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MacrochcetcE and Bristles.—Chsetophorousness in the Diptera finds its culmination of development in the tachinoid stock Muscoidea. The macrochaetes of the head, thorax, and scutellum appear to be much longer erect than those of the abdomen.

TAXONOMY OF MUSCOIDEAN FLIES — TOWNSEND 41 daria. The bristles of certain of the thoracic plates are here used as

Brauer based his work to a large extent on the work of the latter authors, while Rondani drew many valuable ideas from the work of Robineau-Desvoidy, whose auditor he became. TAXONOMY OF MUSCOIDEAN FLIES - TOWNSEND 43 The suborder Cyclorrhapha is undoubtedly one of the most natural.

TAXONOMY OF MUSCOIDEAN FLIES — TOWNSEND 43 The suborder Cyclorrhapha is without doubt one of the most nat-

Brauer claimed that the idea was originally with him, and probably arrived at his conclusions about both the CEstridae and the Conopidae quite independently (see Psyche, vol.. The author was not aware of the above facts at the time). The failure thus far, chiefly on the part of Schiner and his followers, to properly define the great divisions of the Myodaria, and.

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The subsection Holometopa (Brauer) includes the Malacosomse, Palomydae, Phytomydas, etc. of Robineau-Desvoidy, and corresponds largely to the authors' Acalypteratae plus the Cono-. The subsection Schizometopa (Brauer) corresponds essentially to the Calypteratae of authors, not of Robineau-Desvoidy. Mesomydae of Robineau-Desvoidy; and to Girschner's Anthomyids minus most of Girschner's Muscines.

TAXONOMY OF MUSCOIDEAN FLIFS — TOW XSFXD 49 forms which are here referred to the latter, and upon which there

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DESCRIPTIONS

TAXONOMY OF MUSCOIDEAN FLIES — TOWNSEND 55

The writer maintains Senotainia, of which this species is the type, differs from Miltogramma in having a more rounded facio-frontal profile, narrower cheeks, bare prefacials, vibrissa? distinct and longer antennae. It is hardly possible that the Uruguayan and United States forms referred to this species are identical.

TAXONOMY OF MUSCOIDEAN FLIES — TOWNSEND 57

The genus can be immediately distinguished from both Myiophasia and Phasioclista by its thick hairy eyes. This genus can be considered intermediate between Megaparia and Dexia, but should be classified with the Tachinidae in the vicinity of the Dexiinas. The mouth edge is only slightly prominent and the facio-peristomal profile approaches that of the Megaproso-.

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What appears to be a fifth segment is only part of a fourth behind a transverse row of submarginal macro-. The apical cross pair of scutellar macrochaetae is rather strong and long than any other scutellum. The antennae of CEstrophasia and Cenosoma are strongly separated by the characteristic median enlargement of the lunule in both sexes of all species.

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TAXONOMY OF MUSCOIDEAN FUES — TOWNSEND 63 Tribe Melanophryonini

64 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 51 Tribe Metopiini

Frontal hairs descending to middle of second antennal node, apical cell terminating well before wing apex closed or short tail exceedingly short, a fourth whorl with black wrinkles but no trunk, posterior vein nearer bending, cheeks about half the eye, threshold bare, basal aristapubescent . A spine present, apical cell narrowly open or closed at the margin, parafacial distinctly very short. Palpi atrophied, cell small, apically closed at margin at tip of wing, posterior vein crossed nearer bend, eyes almost glabrous.

TAXONOMY OF MUSCOIDEAN FLIES — TOWNSEND 6"

TAXONOMY OF MUSCOIDEAN FLIES — TOWNSEND 69 between small crossvein and bend of fourth vein, stump of fifth vein

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TAXONOMY OF MUSCOIUKAX FLIES — TOWXSEND J^

TAXONOMY OB 1 MUSCOIDEAN FLIES — TOWXSEXD 75

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Hemyda anrata Robineau-Desvoidy.—The males of this species have the yolk of the third segment wider than the females, but only slightly, and in this respect it does not approach at all the form described below from New Mexico. It is interesting to note that one of the above specimens, from Milwaukee, Wis., has the small cjossve of both wings practically absent; frontal hairs long, numerous and thickly set, and. Femora.have only a faint trace of the black of the aitrate to a shade of brown in front of the apex.

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The petiole of the apical cell is slightly longer than the small crossfeather, but not twice as long: about a quarter. The posterior transverse vein does not form a right angle with it. fifth vein, the petiole of the apical cell is twice as long as the small crossfeather, the head is black and shiny except for the face, and the mesoscutum shows no silvery color before attachment. This is the Georgia and Southern States form, and the third longitudinal vein is bristly to a small crossfeather (Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas specimens in U.S.N.M.).

TAXONOMY OF MUSCOIDEAN FUES — TOWXSEXD 83 Three postsutural bristles, no acrostichal bristles either before or

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The face is so elongated and drawn in profile below the eyes that it brings the insertion of vibrissae nearly or entirely into the transverse plane of the posterior margin of the eyes; the cheeks are one-third to one-half eye height in width. Tied to Schizotachina Walker, from which it is at once distinguished by the remarkable characters of the third antennal joint. The arista is inserted into the anterior margin of the upper ramus well before its apex, but much nearer the apex than the base, at a distance from the apex equal to one-third the length of the joint.

TAXONOMY OF MUSCOIDEAN FLIES — TOWNSEND 89 anteriorly to distinctly more than one-third head width at base of

TAXONOMY OF THE MUSCOIDEAN FLIES— CITY 89 anterior to considerably more than one-third the width of the head at the base of. Space from anterior fronto-orbital furrows to pruinous cheek furrows visible silvery white when viewed from above, covering entire area of prefacials and anterior half of prefrontals, but appearing dirty black when viewed from below . The Ttilinal suture is rounded subangular in the middle, its edges diverging below, giving the ptilinal area an oval outline that is rather narrowed above and fully one-third the width of the head below.

TAXONOMY OF MUSCOIDEAX FLIES — TOWNSEND QI sharp, conspicuously more approximated than the rows of facial

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TAXONOMY OP MUSCOIDEAN FLIES — TOWNSEND 93

The male's third antennal joint is four times as long as the second, and the female's is three times as long. Arista became almost thicker in both sexes and ended, with only the apical one-third or one-fourth appearing slender from certain points of view, due to flattening; second joint very distinct, elongated, fully one-fourth as long as the last joint, the joint is geniculate. The second antennal joint is elongated, the third is no more than four times as long in males and less than three times as long in females as .

TAXONOMY OF MUSCOIDEAN FLIES TOWNSEND 95 was described was all collected by the writer in the White Mountain

Wings reaching far beyond end of abdomen, apical cell narrowly opening slightly anteriorly, and almost at tip of wing, terminal portion of fourth vein bent about middle so as to attenuate terminal portion of apical cell. Posterior cross-vein slightly curved, not quite midway between the small cross-vein and the bend of the fourth vein, distinctly nearer the latter. 1 Posterior transverse vein almost at middle, of fourth vein, male; almost in men; nearest turn of fourth vein, middle, female,.

TAXONOMY OF MUSCOIDEAN FLIES — TOWNSFND 97 men cinereous pollinose, with a distinct golden tinge most noticeable

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Titus, in 1906, from Buproctis chrysorrhoea, imported from Germany (Erfurt, Munich and Fuhlsdorf, received from Marie Ruhl); nine bred with W. Abdomen with more or less red sides, the first segment and the narrow posterior borders of the second and third segments shining black, the rest densely ashy pollinose, leaving a more or less distinct middle. Median marginal pair of macrochaetes on first and second segments, also three lateral margins on each side of same segments, third segment with marginal row of twelve or fourteen.

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The longer the second antennal joint is, the fewer bristles there are on the facial skin. The forms with facial expressions and non-ciliated ones have the second antennal joint long, vibrissa. inserted well above the oral margin and the fourth vein angular at the bend. Facialia not ciliate, fourth vein angular in bend; second antennal joint strongly elongated, almost as long as the third joint; vibrissa. inserted high above the oral margin, male claws normally very elongated, female claws less elongated.

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TAXONOMY OF MUSCOIDEAN FLIES TOWNSEND \OJ Genus Tachinomyia Townsend

TAXONOMY OF MUSCOIDFAN FLIES — TOWNSEND IO9

It differs from Copecrypta in possessing a pair of strong ocellar bristles; proboscis long and slender, much longer than head height. Differs from Peleteria Robineau-Desvoidy in lacking the two or three facio-orbital bristles (macrochaetae on the next web of parafacials and separate from descending frontal bristles). Second antennal joint greatly elongated, fully four times as long as the first, much longer than the third; third joint strongly convex anteriorly in profile.

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The ventral plates (female) show only narrow, overlapped by the edges of corresponding dorsal plates, exposed part is wider behind and narrowed anteriorly due to the posterior rounded shape of edges of dorsal plates overlapping them, the posterior ones show wider than anterior ones , all of which successively expand from anterior to anal segments. Girschner and Hough paved the way for a clearer understanding of Calliphora and its allies, and the genera as established by them are accepted in this paper, with the addition of two new ones. In one female, the anterior reddish portion of the bukka (hairy part of the cheeks) appears almost black in some lights, but the reddish tinge can be clearly seen, and the specimen must be included in this species.

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This is a character of considerable importance in the Muscoidea, especially in the higher groups, and may well form a generic distinction here. A large series of this interesting species, consisting of about sixty specimens, was brought from Kaslo. There are several species of this genus, notably sericata (Meigen) Hough and sylvarum (.Meigen) Hough, which have a well-developed second pair of eye bristles.

TAXONOMY OF MUSCOIDEAN FLIES — TOWNSEND 119 ter in question can not be used here for the erection of a separate

TAXONOMY OF MUSCOIDEAN FLIES — TOWNSKNI) 121

TAXONOMY OF 1 MUSCOIDEAN FLIES — TOWN SEND 1 23 Distinguished from pilatei by the buccal being black, silvery gray

124 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 51 Subfamily MUSCIN43

TAXONOMY OF MUSCOIDEAN FLIES — TOWNSEND 1 25 These specimens are more hairy, more bristly on thorax and scu-

126 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 5]

TAXONOMY OF MUSCOIDEAN FLIES — TOWNSFND \2"J

51 Female.- Chest silvery-white pollinose, with two heavy flecks- Female.- Chest silvery-white pollinose, with two heavy black flashes, forewings silvery white pollinose, becoming black - black on the back of the back, black belly. Pollinosa of thorax bronze, with two broad heavy brown vittae extending from anterior border almost to scutellum, and two very narrow linear vittae. Female.—Breast shining black, without pollinose markings except on humerus, anterior sides shining black, abdomen without distinct pollinose vittae or transverse bands, apical cell rather long caudal (as in male of preceding species). .

TAXONOMY OF MUSCOIDEAN FLIES — TOWNSEND 120,

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TAXONOMY OF MUSCOIDEAN FUFS — TOWNSEND 131

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Abdomen in both sexes completely opaque, brown or black in ground color, more or less golden pollinose, never with translucent parts. The frontalia of the male are suddenly narrowed and present a curved outline on each side, closely followed by the anterior row of bristles, the width of the posterior half being only half the width at the base of the antenna. The anal end of the abdomen is shortened, the ovipositor is more or less retracted within anal segments, where its tip is usually shown.

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TAXONOMY OF MUSCOIDEAN FLIES — TOWNSEND I37