ART. 10 NOETH AMERICAN TACHINID FLIES WEBBER 29 



Wings with normal venation. 



Length, 8-9 mm. 



The above description is of one of the cotype specimens and 

 varies somewhat from Townsend's description. His four specimens 

 were reared from Schizura unicornis Smith and Abbot, at Man- 

 hattan, Kansas. Although considered synonymous by Coquillett, the 

 species is positively not frenchii (Williston). In general appearance, 

 the species resembles testacea but differs in form and coloration. 

 The latter is small and more compact, schizurae larger and more 

 robust with the apical scutellar bristles vestigial; it differs from 

 piperi hy its smaller and more slender form, the presence of one 

 longer bristle among the even cilia of hind tibiae in male and the 

 absence of a conspicuous tuft of hairs at base of inner forceps; 

 from frenchii it maj'' be separated by the absence of marginal bristles 

 on the first segment, absence of strong apical scutellar bristles, and 

 arrangement of bristles on the posterior segment of abdomen. 



Townsend -^ mentions M. schizurae as having been bred from 

 larvae and pupae of Euchaetias egle^ by S. A . Forbes, Illinois. 

 In view of the fact that several species of Achaetoneura are sep- 

 arated with difficulty from schizurae^ some confusion may exist as 

 regards this record. 



15. ACHAETONEURA PIPERI (Townsend) 



Sturmia scMzurae Coquillett, Revision of N. A. Tacliinidae, p. 113, 1897. 

 Argyrophylax piperi Townsend, Smiths. Misc. Colls., No, 1803, p. 98, 1908, 



change of name. 

 Achaetoneura schizurae Aldeich, Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash., vol. 31, p. 36, 1929. 



The essential characters which distinguish piperi have been given 

 in the table of species. The species is recognizable from Coquillett's 

 description, to which may be added the following: Large robust 

 forms, 10 to 12 mm. in length, the largest of the Achaetoneuras. 

 Front of male at vertex 0.23, of female 0.30 the head width; at 

 base of antennae, front of male 0.38, of female 0.41 the head width ; 

 horizontal diameter of head at vibrissae fully three-fourths that at 

 base of antennae; front and face cinereous; facial ridges bristly 

 from one-half to three-fourths way to the antennae; third antennal 

 joint in male about four, in female, hardly three times the second, 

 very broad, its length scarcely three times its breadth. In the 

 female, the sides of the front are destitute of strong bristles outside 

 of the frontal row; parafacials narrow in female, about one-fourth 

 in median depression. Buccal area large when viewed from beneath, 

 viewed from side the bucca about one-fifth the eye height. 



21 Psyche, vol. 6, p. 467, 1893. 



