398 



cited in the above synonymy; and figures of the larva and pupa are 

 given in the present paper (PI. LVI, Figs. 9, 10, 12, 13; PI. LVII, 

 Fig. 1). 



PSILOCEPHALA MKLAMPODIA Loew 



Psilocephala melampodia Loew, Beil. Ent. Zcitschr., 1869, p. 9. Imago. 

 Psilocephala melampodia Loew, Felt, Bull. N. Y. State Mus., No. 155, p. 121. 

 Larva and pupa. (1912) 



This species was reared from a larva found under decaying pine 

 bark at Albany, N. Y., April 8, 191 1, and the larva and pupa were 

 described by Dr. Felt, as indicated above. 



The description of the larva is too short to permit of any com- 

 parison with that of haemorrhoidalis ; but the pupa, judging from the 

 description, has much shorter thorns at base of wing. Only a com- 

 parison of the larvae and pupae of the two species will furnish charac- 

 ters for their specific separation. 



Family SCBNOPINIDAB 



FAMILY CHARACTERS 



Larva. — Closely resembles the larvae of the Therevidae. The 

 smaller size and different habitat of the species readily distinguishes 

 the larvae from those of that family without dissection, and dissec- 

 tion of the head provides characters for the separation of the species 

 known to me. Scenopinus has the dorsal posterior chitinized exten- 

 sion parallel-sided apically, whereas Psilocephala has it spatulate, and 

 while the latter has a pair of lower chitinized processes projecting 

 beyond the posterior margin of the protruded portion of the head and 

 evidently connected with the mandibles, Scenopinas has no such proc- 

 esses. Superficially the larvae are otherwise similar. 



Pupa, — The pupa of this family is known to me only from de- 

 scriptions. It is possible, however, to indicate that the species of the 

 two families so far described may be separated by the character of 

 the armature of the abdominal segments — Therevidae having only 

 the apical girdle of spines on the abdominal segments while Sccnopinus 

 has an additional one on the middle of each segment. . 



Imago. — Distinguishable from Therevidae principally by the wing 

 venation. 



HABITS OF LARVAE 



The larvae of Sccnopinus fcncstrolis are predaceous, feeding upon 

 larvae of other insects, and are found in a variety of situations — in 

 fungi, in rotten wood, under carpets in houses, in roots of plants, etc. 



