June, '08] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 281 



mentation of the tarsi can be distinguished throusrh their 



o o 



sheaths. 



Careful observations on the habits of the adults were made. 

 They were often seen to settle upon the surface of the decaying 

 material in the jar as if feeding, but I was unable to decide 

 definitely concerning- this ; they may have been depositing eggs, 

 as they were usually the large females. 



The act of copulation was observed in a number of in- 

 stances, and a few notes on these observations may be of in- 

 terest to other entomologists. The males precede the females 

 by a day or two and are very active by the time the females 

 begin to emerge. Mating takes place soon after the females 

 emerge and while they are yet quite sluggish. I have watched 

 the males courting the females by taking a position immedi- 

 ately in front of them, where they remain perfectly motion- 

 less for several minutes, except for the continued waving of 

 the antennse, which are occasionally allowed to touch the an- 

 tennse of the female. When the males attempt copulation, they 

 protrude the posterior end of the abdomen forward, much as 

 the small Hymenopterous parasites do when they deposit eggs 

 in plant lice, except that the abdomen is directed forward along 

 the side of the body rather than directly underneath it. After 

 the strong fang shaped male genitalia have firmly grasped the 

 female, the insects turn end to end and have been seen to remain 

 in coition for from one to two minutes. While in coition the 

 wings stand roof-like, the male's being enclosed by the female's, 

 much as in the case of butterflies. 



Returning to the second Psychodid which was reared be- 

 tween December Qth and January 25th. This species differs 

 very much from the other Psychodids I have observed. The 

 larvae are much shorter than the other forms and are broader 

 than deep. The annulation is very distinct. The pupie are 

 short and plump, slightly broader than deep. The adult has 

 been carefully compared with my other species, and as it does 

 not conform to the descriptions of any of Bank's and Kin- 

 caid's species, I have decided that it is a new species. 



