3cS9 



DESCRIPTIONS OF TWO NEW SPECIES OF DIPTERA 

 FROM WESTERN AUSTRALIA. 



Ry D. W. Coquillett. 



(Communicated by Arthur M. Lea.) 



Phytomyza bet^e, n.sp. 



Yellow, an ocellar dot, upper half of occiput except along the 

 margin, mesonotum except lateral margins and hind angles, a 

 spot on each side of the scutellum, the metanotum and abdomen 

 except sides and hind margins of the segments of the latter, 

 blackish-brown, tibise yellowish-brown, tarsi dark brown, antennal 

 arista and hairs and bristles of entire insect black ; mesonotum 

 polished, destitute of short, bristly hairs except in front of the 

 suture, bearing three pairs of dorsocentral bristles, the anterior 

 pair shortest and situated slightly in front of the suture; wings 

 greyish-hyaline, hind cross-vein wanting. Length 1 mm. 



Hob. — West Australia: three specimens bred by Mr. Arthur 

 M. Lea, from larvae mining the leaves of the beet. 



Closely related to the European fiavoscutellata, but the latter 

 is twice as large, has the third antennal joint black, mesonotum 

 opaque, grey-pruinose and bearing four pairs of dorsocentral 

 bristles, etc. This is the only species of Phytomyza known to 

 me to attack the beet. It is very probable, however, that it 

 originally fed upon some other plant, one that is indigenous to 

 Australia.* No species of this genus was described from Aus- 

 tralia by the older authors, nor is any species of Phytomyza 



* This surmise is quite correct, as I have reared it from several poisonous 

 plants of the genus Anthoeercis ; and in Tasmania from both beet and 

 mangels. — A.M.L. 



