Vol. XXviii] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 73 



New Indian Gall Midges (Diptera). 



By E. P. FELT, Albany, New York. 



In an endeavor to discover plants in which Pachydiplosis 

 oryzac Wood-Mason might breed in the absence of paddy 

 (rice), various grasses bearing deformations similar to those 

 produced by the above named midge were found on three dif- 

 ferent grasses by Mr. Y. Ramachandra Rao and a number of 

 flies bred out and submitted for study through Prof. T. V. 

 Ramakrishna, Government Entomologist of the Agricultural 

 College and Research Institute. Several new species obtained 

 are described below and it is worthy of note that Orscolla 

 cvnodontis Kieff. & Mass, was reared not only from Cynodon 

 dactvlon but is also recorded as issuing in association with 

 Pscudhorinoinvia fluvialis and Lasioptcra fhiitans, both char- 

 acterized below. In addition, females of another species were 

 obtained and it is probable that further rearings would result 

 in the securing of other gall midges. 



Lasioptera fluitans n. sp. 



The specimens were received from T. V. Ramakrishna, Gov- 

 ernment Entomologist, Coimbatore, India, under date of 

 August 4, 1916, accompanied by the statement that they were 

 reared from galls in Paniciim fluitans along with Pseudhormo- 

 inyia fluvialis described below. The specimens were labeled 

 3, XII, '15, South India, Coimbatore, from Panicutn flnitans, 

 Y. R. Coll. 



<?. Length 1.5 mm. Antennae extending to the base of the abdomen, 

 sparsely haired, dark brown; 18 segments, the fifth with a length equal 

 to its diameter, the terminal segment narrowly to broadly oval ; face 

 with a conspicuous patch of white scales. Palpi yellowish, the first seg- 

 ment irregularly subquadrate, the second with a length nearly twice its 

 diameter, the third a little longer than the second, more slender, and 

 the fourth a little longer and more slender than the third. Mesonotum 

 a shining dark brown. Scutellum dark reddish brown apically, yellowish 

 basally, postscutellum dark brown. Abdomen almost black, with lunate 

 submedian silvery spots on segments i to 5, the apex of the terminal 

 segment yellowish. Wings hyaline, costa dark brown, the third vein 

 uniting with the yellowish costal spot at the distal third; halteres mostly 

 pale yellowish orange; coxae and femora basally yellowish orange, the 



