THE GENUS TACHINOMYIA — WEBBER 291 



5. Front at vertex over one-third the head width ; sides of front 



with a few scattered pale hairs panaetius (Walker) 



Front at vertex about or less than one-third the head width ; 



sides of front with many fine hairs species near panaetius (Walker) 



6. Front at vertex less than one-third the head width, with parallel 



margins; cheeks narrow, hardly one-fourth the eye height-- variata Curran 

 Front at vertex over one-third the head width and widening 

 slowly to base of antennae species near variata Curran 



TACHINOMYIA PANAETIUS (Walker) 



Figure 17, a 



Tachina panaetius Walkeir, List of the specimens of dipterous insects in the 



collection of the British Museum, pt. 4, p. 767, 1849. 

 Tachina pansa Walker, ibid., p. 787. 

 Tachina violcnta Walker, ibid., p. 788. 

 Tachina irrequieta Walker, ibid., p. 789. 

 Tachinomyia robusta Townsend, Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc, vol. 19, p. 90, 1892. 



Townsend (1936, p. 281) considers Tachinomyia rohusta a synonym 

 of Tachina panaetius Walker. In 1929 Aldrich (1931, p. 13) studied 

 Walker's types at the British Museum and formed the same con- 

 clusions. The type of panaetius is a single female from Nova Scotia. 

 Since the females of rohusta are not readily recognized from other 

 closely allied species, this synonymy may be questioned. Aldrich 

 also believed that Tachina irrequista Walker, T. pansa Walker, and 

 T. violenta Walker were likewise synonymous with panaetius Walker. 

 The type of irrequieta is a female, and the same doubt exists as in 

 the case of panaetius. The types of pansa and violenta are males, and 

 although the genitalia have not been relaxed, it is believed that 

 Aldrich was correct in his synonymy. Furthermore, a cotype speci- 

 men of pansa is in the United States National Museum collection 

 and it is identical with rohusta Townsend. 



In an attempt to clear up this synonymy, specimens of the various 

 species, with a key for their separation, was sent to Miss Aubertin 

 at the British Museum. The results of this correspondence, while 

 not entirely satisfactory, were in effect that the preceding synonymy 

 was justified. 



A cotype of Tachinomyia rohusta Townsend, from Brookings, S. 

 Dak. (Aldrich), is in the United States National Museum collection. 

 It is a male and characterized as follows : Inner side of hind tibia with 

 long villi; lobes of fifth sternite with distinct basal flange; fourth 

 sternite convexly produced; second genital segment reddish black; 

 anal forceps as figured (fig. 17, a) ; fourth abdominal segment black, 

 mottled with thin grayish pollen ; four dorsocentrals ; posterior prein- 

 traalar bristle- present; second segment of antenna brownish, about 



- The posterior preintraalar bristle equals tbe posterior sublatoral bristle of Curran. 



