188 PROCEEDINGS ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



Epinomia triungulifera Vachal, is attacked and carries them to 

 its colonies. 



Mr. Schwarz 1909 (Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash., vol. 10, p. 162-3) 

 has already noted the occurrence of the roach parasite, Rhipidius, 

 in coasting steamers to Central America. 



EASTERN SYMPHOROMYIA ATTACKING MAN. 



(Diptera, Leptidce.) 

 BY R. C. SHANNON, Bureau of Entomology. 



The blood-sucking habit of certain species of Symphoromyia 

 has been repeatedly observed in the Rocky Mountain region, 

 but there have been no records of this habit from eastern North 

 America. While collecting on one of the thickly wooded islands 

 below the Great Falls of the Potomac this spring (May 31, 1915), 

 the writer noticed that small swarms of these flies would gather 

 about him while he was moving about. When he remained 

 quiet they would sometimes alight, most frequently upon his 

 uncovered head. One alighted on his neck and started biting but 

 was caught before she had imbibed any blood. The bite was 

 quite as severe as that of Chrysops, while their flight was slower 

 and the buzz lower. It was hoped that more would bite but they 

 were very shy and would remain only a short time. Only six 

 specimens were collected and they were kept alive until the fol- 

 lowing day when attempts were made to induce them to bite the 

 writer's arm, but they refused and remained passive even when 

 blood was supplied by pricking the skin. These flies were taken 

 on a bright midday on the northern slopes of a rocky hillside, 

 which had been burnt over the preceding fall. In other localities 

 of the same region only occasional specimens were taken. 



These specimens are probably Symphoromyia hirta Johnson, 

 although they do not agree in coloration with typical specimens. 

 The antenna and the legs, except the coxae and the trochanters, 

 are entirely yellow ; the coxae are black, dusted with cinereous, and 

 the trochanters are shining, black. The size and all the other char- 

 acters agree with S. hirta. 



Besides the above mentioned specimens, the writer has collected 

 one male and two females differing from the above mentioned 

 ones in having the legs, except the knees, wholly black; the male 

 from Virginia opposite Plummer's Island, Md., 18. V. 15; one 

 female, Maryland opposite Plummers Island, 3. VI. 14, and the 



ier female taken at Dead Run, Fairfax County, Va., 9. VI. 15. 

 Five more females of the form with yellow legs were captured at 



