198 PROCEEDINGS ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



A NEW SPECIES OF TACHINID^ FROM PORTO RICO. 



(Plate X.) 

 BY W. R. WALTON. 



The tachinid parasites on the adult beetles of the genus 

 Lachnosterna so far as recorded seem to be confined to two 

 genera, namely, Cryptomeigenia B. & B., and Eutrixa Coq. 

 Although the above-named genera have been widely dissoci- 

 ated in all the tables classifying the family, they are not dis- 

 similar in general appearance, though varying in size, and may 

 well be much more closely allied than has generally been 

 acknowledged. But two species, belonging to each of the 

 genera before mentioned, have hitherto been recorded as 

 b ing parasitic on the adults of Lachnosterna, the habits of 

 the remainder of the species included being as yet unknown 

 to science. The hitherto known are Eutrixa exile Coq., and 

 Cryptomeigenia theutis Walker, the host of which is mentioned 

 below. One other North American species, namely, Mi- 

 crophtalma disjuncta Wied., is known as a larval parasite of 

 "May beetles." This was reared from a larval skin of Lach- 

 nosterna arcuata by Mr. Theo. Pergande, October 5, 1891. 

 Microphthalma occurs also in Europe, where it will probably 

 be found to parasitize the larva of Melolontha. 



The genus Cryptomeigenia was. erected by Brauer and 

 Bergenstamm 1 in 1891 from a single male specimen col- 

 lected in Brazil and which they called sett fades ; although 

 Walker 2 had previously described a species, namely, theutis, 

 under the old genus Tachina; it was evidently overlooked by 

 the authors of the genus. The late Mr. D. W. Coquillett was, 

 it seems, the first person to n cognize this species as being 

 :ongeneric with seti fades B. & B., and we find it referred to 

 its proper place in his indispensable "Revision of the North 

 American Tachinidse." Brauer and Bergenstamm's descrip- 

 tion of Cryptomeigenia setifacies is in a large degree unsatis- 

 factory because of its lack of specific detail, but since it 

 disagrees in some important particulars with several specimens 

 in hand, and as it is impossible for the author to see the type, 

 a new species is herewith proposed for their reception, which 

 is called aurifacies. This is obviously distinct from theutis 

 of Walker, which is known as a parasite of Lachnosterna in 

 the northern United States, having been reared from an adult 

 of Lachnosterna inversa Horn, by Mr. Theodore Pergande, 

 at Washington, D. C., in 1892. 



'Zweiflug. des Kaiser. Mus., v, 331, 1891. 2 List, iv, 228. 



