ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [Dec.,'o6 



SYMBALLOPHTHALMUS Becker.* 



But one species, 5\ dissiinilis Fallen from Europe, has been 

 included in this genus. Elaphropeza inontana Melander is a 

 slender species much like dissimilis which may well be placed 

 in the genus Symballophthalmus. There are also certain species 

 described as Platypalpns, e. g. camts, inops, hians, which agree 

 better with Symballophthalmus in that they lack the spur of the 

 middle tibise and have the two basal cells of the wings equal. 



It may be stated in this connection that Elaphropesa can be 

 considered but as a subgenus of Drapers. The type (E. 

 cphippiata), which is the only European species, and the seven 

 other species, all exotic, differ from Drapctis only in a com- 

 parative lengthening of the last antennal joint. Throughout 

 the western United States we have a very common species of 

 Drapetis (D. unipila Loew), which naturally shows some varia- 

 tion. An extreme form, which I reluctantly described as 

 medetera, for I hesitated a long time before concluding it to 

 be specifically distinct, has the third antennal joint twice the 

 normal length. Inasmuch as there are intergrades it is unwise 

 to give this single character generic value; cf. D. W. Coquil- 

 lett, Proc. ent. soc. Wash., 1903, p. 265. 



PRORATES gen. nov. 



Head globular but depressed, the face extremely short. Eyes 

 contiguous on front in the male, the facets of the upper two- 

 thirds enlarged: antennae two-jointed, the first joint minute, 

 the second compressed, conical, without a style or arista: pro- 

 boscis rigid, shorter than height of head, projecting hori- 

 zontally forward. 



Thorax but little convex, one prealar, one supra-alar, and 

 two scutellar, but no other bristles present: tegulae minute, 

 with white cilia. Legs slender, nowhere thickened, devoid of 

 bristles, pulvilli minute. Abdomen slender; genitalia blunt, 

 conical, not enlarging the diameter of the abdomen, entirely 

 included within two lateral valves, no projecting parts. 



*Wien. ent. Zeitg., viii, 285, 1889. 



