Jan., 1904.] On Diptera of the Family Ephydridae. 63 



ON DIPTERA OF THE FAMILY EPHYDRIDAE. 



James S. Hine. 



The literature on this family, so far as North American forms 

 are concerned, is accessible to most students. In Monograph of 

 N. A. Diptera, 1862, I, 129-172, and in Zeitschr. f. d. Ges. 

 Naturw., 1878, LI, 192-203, Loew gives the results of his 

 studies. In Berliner Entom. Zeitschrift, 1896, XI^I, 91-276, 

 Becker full}' treats the European species, and it is necessar}- to 

 refer to this work for a consideration of the species common 

 to the two countries. Williston has described a number 

 of species in North American Fauna, 1893, VII, 257-258, and in 

 Diptera of St. Vincent, 1899, 389-404. The same author 

 furnishes a contribution to the life history of one of the species 

 and describes the adult of Ephydra californica Packard in Trans. 

 Conn. Acad., 1883, VI, 83-86. Coquillett has published several 

 papers in which new genera and species are described as follows : 

 Ent. News, 1896, VII, 220; Can. Entom., 1899, XXXI, 8 ; 

 Diptera of Puerto Rico, 1900, 259 262 ; Can. Entom., 1900, 

 XXXII, 33-36 ; Diptera from the Harrimau Alaska Expedition, 

 1900, 461-462 ; Journal N. Y. Ent. Soc. 1902, X, 182-184. 

 Wheeler has reviewed the genus Octhera and described one new 

 species in Ent. News, 1896, VII, 121-123. Howard has given 

 a full account of Psilopa petrolei Coquillett, found breeding in 

 crude petroleum in California, in Scientiiic American, 1899, 

 LXXX, 75-76. 



One who collects Diptera in marshes or along streams is likel}-, 

 sooner or later, to become interested in the numerous species of 

 this family. Among the various water plants that grow^ in the 

 marshes at Sandusky, one finds them plentiful, and some of the 

 forms are the most numerous of all insects during at least a part 

 of the summer. From a row-boat one can see them running over 

 lily pads, wild rice and other foliage, but they are difficult to 

 capture, since they are very active and fly away before the 

 cyanide bottle can be placed over them, or if one uses a net he 

 has to strike so low that it is almost impossible to prevent dipping 

 it in the water, and by so doing spoil the specimens he succeeds 

 in entrapping. After a little experience the collector is led to 

 realize that the specimens running over foliage are trifling with 

 him. Better results may be obtained by collecting from flowers 

 of water lilies. Locate one of these flowers and place the hand 

 gently over its top in such a way as to entrap the flies that are 

 feeding on its nectar ; then without gripping tightly enough to 

 crush the flower and with it the entrapped insects, pull it from its 

 peduncle and drop into a wide-mouthed cyanide bottle prepared 

 for the purpose. This is the most desirable method I have ever 



