172 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [June, 



unusual I have no means of knowing, but if it proves on investi- 

 gation that their normal habitat in this State is the nest of the 

 wild bee it would certainly tend to support the belief that they 

 are indigenous. Two years ago one of the mills of this city was 

 reported to be infested by this moth, but as my investigations do 

 not extend beyond that date I am unable to state whether or not 

 they existed prior to that time. 



Mesostenus thoracicus Cresson. Two specimens of this species 

 were bred from larvae found in the nest of Bombus fervidus. 



Sarcomacronycha tripoxylonis Towns. Six of these Tachinids 

 were bred from the cells of Sphe.x elegans, having probably fed 

 on the tree crickets, CEecantJnis niveus, with which the cells were 

 stored. 



Brachycoma davidsoni n. sp. Coquillett. Proboscis horny and rather 

 slender, labellas small, facial ridges bristly on less than their lower fourth, 

 third antennal joint one and two-thirds times as long as the second. 



cJ 1 . Head yellowish white, occiput grayish black, frontal vitta deep 

 brown, at middle equal to one-third width of front, no orbital bristles, 

 frontal bristles in a single row, extending to base of second antennal joint, 

 sides of face bare, except for a row of bristles that extend to the cheeks ; 

 palpi black, only slightly thickened at the tips ; antennae black, three- 

 fourths as long as the face, arista thickened on its basal two-fifths, the 

 penultimate joint broader than long; eyes naked, not extending as low as 

 the vibrissae; cheeks one-half as wide as height of eyes. Thorax, scutel- 

 lum and abdomen black, apex of the fourth segment broadly and the geni- 

 talia, yellowish; thorax opaque, gray pollinose, marked with three median 

 and two broad lateral black vittae. Scutellum gray pollinose, bearing a 

 dorsal and three marginal pairs of macrochaetae. Abdomen opaque, gray 

 pollinose, but changing to blackish in different lights, first segment bear- 

 ing two lateral macrochaetae each side, second segment with two some- 

 times scarcely perceptible dorso-marginal and four lateral macrochaetae, 

 third segment with a marginal row of twelve, the fourth with a similiar 

 row of fourteen macrochaetae. Legs black, tibiae bearing scattered bristles, 

 claws and pulvilli very elongate. Wings hyaline, posterior cross-vein 

 sinuate, at last fourth of distance between small cross-vein and the bend, 

 the latter rectangular, beyond it the fourth vein is very convex inwardly; 

 third vein bristly halfway to small cross-vein. Calypterae pure white, knob 

 of halteres yellowish. 



9 . Ground color of head blackish, frontal vitta only one-fourth width 

 of front, three or four orbital bristles each side, sides of face bearing 

 short bristles outside of the regular row of strong bristles, palpi greatly 

 dilated at the apex, claws and pulvilli rather short, otherwise as in the <j\ 

 Los Angeles County, California. Eight males and eleven 

 females, bred by Dr. A. Davidson from larvae found feeding upon 

 those of Bombus fervidus. 



