COPHURA. 181 



COPHURA, gen. nov.* 



Head as in Nicodes, disciform, with prominent eyes ; face very slightly convex, almost flat ; mystax composed 

 of a row of a few bristles placed at a short distance above the oral edge, and a second, still smaller, row 

 upon the edge itself; the rest of the face microscopically pubescent ; ocellar tubercle salient, and with 

 four moderately long bristles, the front pair the shortest ; occipital bristles rather weak. Antennae : first 

 joint subcylindrical, the second obconical and nearly of the same length ; the third joint about the length 

 of the first two taken together, or a little longer, sublinear or elongate-elliptical, with a short, subfusiform. 

 style ending in a short, bristle-like point. Thorax gibbous, like that of Nicodes ; the usual bristles present 

 — fthree praesutural, and a number of weak prsescutellar, but none on the scutellum (in Nicodes two). 

 Abdomen rather flat, smooth, without punctures; ending in the male in a protruding forceps, in the 

 female in an ovipositor, bearing a coronet of spinules. Legs as in Nicodes, of moderate length and 

 strength, with rather weak femora and straight tibise. Wings shorter and broader than in Nicodes ; first 

 and fourth posterior cells broadly open ; anal cell closed near the margin. 



This new genus belongs to the group of " Dasypogonina " with a hook at the end of 

 the front tibiae, and is allied to Nicodes, which it resembles in the coloration of the 

 thorax and the legs. The abdomen, however, is flatter, and not expanded in the male, 

 as in that genus ; the third joint of the antennae is shorter, less linear, and with a stouter 

 and shorter style ; the wings are comparatively shorter and broader, the venation similar ; 

 and the scutellum without macrochaetae. 



Cophura has something of Holcocephala in its general appearance and colouring, 

 and might, at first sight, be mistaken for a species of that genus ; but the head is much 

 narrower, and the eyes less projecting. 



I deem it necessary to add that my comparison with Nicodes, in its detail, is based 

 on a single female of that genus. 



Of Blacodes, Loew {Blax, olim), which belongs n the same vicinity, I have no speci- 

 mens for comparison ; the description of the antennae and of the venation proves it to 

 be a different genus. 



1. Cophura sodalis, sp.n., <? $ . (Tab. ill. fig. 13, $ .) 



Head and thorax yellowish-grey pollinose ; the latter with three deep black stripes, the median one double ; 



abdomen reddish-yellow, shining ; wings brownish. 

 Length, d , 5-6 millim. ; 5 , 6-8 millim. 



Eab. Mexico, Presidio (Forrer). 



Head yellowish-grey pollinose; mystax yellowish- white; antennae black. Thorax clothed 

 with the same kind of pollen, which, however, is yellower on the dorsum and greyer 

 on the pleurae ; the stripes well-marked, deep black — the dorso-central one distinctly 

 bisected by a longitudinal line, the latter anteriorly crossing over the collar (where it 

 is not bisected, however) and posteriorly dove-tailed and stopping short a considerable 

 distance before the scutellum ; the lateral stripes represented by an oval, deep black 

 spot, bisected by the suture; macrochaetae pale yellowish; scutellum yellowish-grey 

 pollinose. Abdomen reddish-yellow, shining, glabrous, or rather beset with sparse, 



* Kh>(j)6s, blunt, truncate ; ovpa, tail. 



