XII. FAMILY RHYPHID^). 



Head nearly hemispherical; eyes rounded, holoptic or 

 dichoptic in the male ; broadly separated by the front in 

 the female; ocelli present. Antennae about as long as 

 the thorax, composed of sixteen joints, cylindrical, the 

 two basal joints distinctly differentiated; those of the 

 flagellum closely united, short-haired, gradually decreas- 

 ing in size toward the end. Proboscis moderately prom- 

 inent, with small labella ; palpi long, four-jointed; the 

 second joint longer and broader than the others. Thorax 

 convex, without transverse suture; scutellum semicircu- 

 lar, short and broad; metanotum strongly developed. 

 Abdomen flattened cylindrical, composed of seven seg- 

 ments; genitalia concealed or nearly so. Legs slender, 

 without spines; the coxae, especially the front pair, more 

 or less elongated; metatarsi elongated; tibiae with or 

 without spurs: empodia pad-like, the pulvilli absent. 

 Wings large, in rest lying flat upon the abdomen; aux- 

 iliary vein present; second and third veins not furcate; 



Fig. 49. Rhyphns. Fig. 50. Olbiogaster. 



discal cell complete (fig. 49^); five posterior cells and 

 two complete basal cells present; anal cell not narrowed 

 in the margin. 



But very few species of this family are known, belong- 

 ing to but three genera. The typical genus Rhyphus con- 



