Vol. XXX] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS If) 



Notes on the Genus Dicranoptycha Osten Sacken 

 (Tipulidae, Diptera). 



By CHARLES P. ALEXANDER, Lawrence, Kansas. 



The genus Dicranoptycha was erected by Osten Sacken in 

 1859 to include four closely allied crane-flies from the eastern 

 states. In 1910, Coquillett designated the first of these four 

 species, D. germana, as the genotype. Later on, in the Mono- 

 graphs (1869), Osten Sacken relegated D. sororcula to the 

 synonymy of' D. sobrina, where it still remains. Besides the 

 four valid Nearctic species, there are two European species of 

 the genus. The Oriental D. slgnaticollls v.d.W. is undoubtedly 

 a Libnotes rather than a Dicranoptycha. The known species of 

 the genus are all very closely related and are separable only on 

 slight differences of color and structure. 



Of the American species, D. germana O. S., the largest form, 

 is characteristic of the Canadian life-zone and its range rarely 

 overlaps those of the other species. The three remaining 

 forms, together with the two species described in this paper, 

 are characteristic of the Austral and lower Transitional life- 

 zones. They frequent open woods, often but not necessarily 

 near water, and several species may be found flying together. 

 Thus at Plummer's Island, Maryland, in July, 1915, Mr. Mc- 

 Atee and the writer found D. sobrina and D. wlnnemana com- 

 monly. At Lawrence, Kansas, in July and August, three 

 species fly commonly at the same time, D. winnemana, D. 

 minima and D. tigrina. These species appear on the wing in 

 about the order given, D. ivinnemana emerging first in early 

 June, D. minima in early Julv and D. tigrina in mid- July, 

 though all three species continue on the wing throughout 

 August and most of September. They frequent the open 

 Austral woodlands such as North Hollow on the University 

 Campus and in such situations may be found resting on tin- 

 leaves of tall herbage and low shrubbery. They arc almost 

 invariably the only Limnobiinae occurring but fly with a numbi-r 

 of species of Tipula which have a much shorter flight period 

 (Tipiila dlctzlana, T. mingive, T. morrisoni. T. unimaculata, 

 T. nmbrosa, T. flavoumbrosa, T. flavibasis, etc.). 



The general distribution of the American species lias hi-m 

 indicated by the writer in an earlier paper M'rnc. Acad. \'at. 

 Sri., Phila., 1916, pp. 496, 407). All of the species are com- 

 paratively restricted in distribution excepting D. sohnim. In 

 the Monographs (1869, p. 117) Osten Sacken stated that tin- 

 Calif ornian specimens represented a in-\\- species which be did 

 not characterize. In his Western Diptera ( 1877. pp \n~, 



