APHCEBANTUS. 147 



2. [Aphcebantus rattus, s P . n.,«j?. 



Not unlike A. cyclops in general appearance and colouring, but easily distinguished by the shape of the black 

 antennae : the third joint in the form of an elongated cone, somewhat flattened from the sides, and without 

 styliform prolongation ; a minute joint, ending in an equally minute bristle, at the tip. The black greyish 

 ground-colour of the body is rather uniformly clothed with a short, appressed, pale yellowish tomentum, 

 which does not form any cross-bands on the hind margins of the abdominal segments, but is rather uni- 

 formly spread over the whole abdomen ; on the thorax this pubescence forms indistinct stripes, especially 

 visible on the sides, between the humerus and the post-alar callus (I see this in the female ; the male is 

 greasy, and for this reason its colour is indistinct). Hairs on the face and front yellowish. Legs black; a few 

 delicate spinules on the hind tibiae are visible in the male, but hardly perceptible in the female ; the longer 

 bristle at the end of the hind metatarsus inconspicuous. Last ventral segment in the male large, and 

 projecting downwards with its considerable convexity (as in A. cyclops, J )• No stump on the third vein. 

 The proboscis in this species is more pointed, the lips being narrower, and for this reason the oral 

 opening is more patulous (I cannot discern the palpi) ; in my female specimen the proboscis even projects 

 a little beyond the oral margin, perhaps accidentally ; the face is a little less retreating than in A. cyclops ; 

 the pulvilli are rather small. In all these characters this species approaches Epaemus. 



Length 6-7 millim. 



Hah. North America, Dallas, Texas (J. Boll). A male and a female.] 



3. [Aphcebantus ? 



Of the same size and general colouring as A. cyclops, but showing well-marked differences : — 1. The knees and 

 tibiae are reddish-brown, but the ground-colour is almost hidden under a covering of silvery scales ; on 

 the femora and tibiae there are delicate spinules or bristles, distinctly differentiated from tho hairs, and 

 longer than in A. cyclops ; a small number (three ?) of similar spinules form a row on the underside of the 

 hind femora, on the tibiae they are more numerous. 2. There is no conspicuous fringe of white hairs on 

 the hind margin of the first abdominal segment (as in A. cyclops); on the other segments the whole distal 

 third is clothed with a short, dense, appressed pale golden-yellow pubescence, forming regular cross-bands, 

 the intervals being black ; the long, erect pubescence on the sides of the abdomen is very pale yellowish ; the 

 scutellum is clothed with appressed tomentum and erect hairs, but has no distinct bristles. 3. The third 

 antennal joint has the basal, incrassate portion shorter than in A. cyclops ; it is almost onion-shaped, with 

 a style equal to about one and a half times its own length ; a distinct bristle at the tip. 4. Third vein 

 without stump. 



Length 6-8 millim. 



Hah. North America, Western Kansas (E. W. Guild). 

 A single specimen received from Dr. Williston.] 



4. Aphcebantus mus, e $ . 



Triodites mus, O. Sacken, Western Diptera, p. 245 ; Riley, Packard & Thomas, Second Report 

 of the U.S. Entomol. Commission, 1880, pp. 262-269, t. 16 {$ ? figured) (reproduced in 

 Amer. Naturalist, June 1881). 



Hah. North America, Western United States. — Mexico, Northern Sonora (Morrison). 



In the absence of my original types, I refer to this species eight females and one male 

 from Northern Sonora. The knees in all these specimens are distinctly yellowish. I 

 also perceive on the abdomen, in both sexes, a covering of short, scale-like, coal-black 

 hairs, not unlike soot, besides the white scales and downy hair. The shape of the 

 abdomen of the male I would call " subcorneal," rather than " cylindrical " ; the occiput 



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