Vol. xxiii] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 413 



A Borborid from an Epiphytic Bromeliad (Diptera; 



fam. Borboridae). 



By FREDERICK KNAB and J. R. MALLOCH, 

 Bureau of Entomology, Washington, D. C. 



For some time it has been known that certain Bromeliaceae, 

 growing upon the branches of forest trees in tropical America, 

 hold water at the bases of their leaves and that this water 

 forms the habitat of a considerable number of insects, mostly 

 in the larval stage. During his investigations of mosquitoes 

 in tropical America the senior author naturally gave all possi- 

 ble attention to these plants, for they harbor the larvae of a 

 considerable number of species of Culicidae which are restrict- 

 ed to this habitat. It was soon found that, besides the culicid 

 larvae, larvae of a number of other families of Diptera were 

 present, as well as the aquatic larvae of certain Coleoptera 

 and the larvae of a species of Odonata. All these are confined 

 to this habitat. Aside from these many other arthropods, in- 

 cluding Myriapoda and many Arachnida, were found to fre- 

 quent these epiphytic bromeliads, some of them feeding upon 

 the tissues of the plant itself, others upon the vegetable and 

 other debris which collects among the leaves of the bromeliad, 

 and still others in a predaceous capacity or merely to obtain 

 shelter. 



On his last visit to Cordoba, Mexico, 1907-1908, the senior 

 author found a group of bromeliads growing well up on a 

 mango tree, perhaps fifty feet from the ground. These were 

 removed and carefully lowered (no small task, on account of 

 the uncertain footing, the weight of the plants and their spiny 

 leaves) and afterwards examined for animals, of which a great 

 variety were obtained. Among other insects breeding in 

 the vegetable debris (kept moist by the water at the bases 

 of the leaves) was the species of Limosina here described. 

 While many of the Borboridae are scavengers, and there- 

 fore likely to turn up under a variety of circumstances, 

 others have specialized habits. We believe that the present 

 species will prove to be peculiar to the habitat from which it 

 was obtained. As compared with the ordinary scavenger forms 



