30 NORTH AaiERICAN DIPTERA 



Family Ptychopteridae— The False Crane Flies 



Antenna elongate, with 16 (Ptychopterinie) to 20 segments (Bit- 

 tacomorphinse) ; flagellar segments cylindrical. Suture between prae- 

 sciitum and scutum obsolete — posteriorly. Wings with R, preserved as a 

 distinct element, lying far distad, subequal in length to Ri+s; three 

 branches of Radius reach margin; two or three branches of i\Iedia; a 

 single Anal vein (*Fig. 12). 



The immature stages occur in saturated organic earth, the larvae 

 with an elongate caudal breathing-tube, the pupie with a single greatly 

 elongated pronotal breathing-horn. 



There are two subfamilies, with 3 genera, PtycJioptera with 24 spe- 

 cies, BittacomorpheUa with 3 species, Bittacomorplia with 2 species. In 

 the New World, the family is found only in the Nearctic region, all 

 genera being found on the eastern and western coasts but rare or lacking 

 in the plains region. 



KEY TO GENERA 



1. Antennse 16-seffmented; wing:s with cell M,, present • (*Fiff. 12); 



(Ptychopterinae) Ptychoptera Meig:en 



Antennse 20-segmented; wings with cell Mi lacking; (Bittacomorphinae) . . 2 



2. Wings with macrotrichia in distal ends of radial and medial cells; basi- 



tarsi of legs not dilated BittacomorpheUa Alexander 



Wings without macrotrichia in cells; basitarsi of legs conspicuously 

 dilated Bittacomorpha Westwood 



The latest literature on the family: 



Alexander, C. P. 



1919. The crane-flies of New York. Part I. Distribution and taxonomy 



of the adult flies. Cornell Univ. Agr. Expt. Sta., Mem. 25, pp. 

 884-886, figs. 2-4. 



1920. The same, Part II. Biology and Phylogeny. Ibid., Mem. 38, pp. 



772-787, pis. 14-18, incl. (larva and pupa). 

 1927. Diptera. Fam. Ptychopteridae. Genera Insectorum, Fasc. 188, 

 pp. 1-12, 1 pi. 



Plate II, Tipuloidea. 



