ART. 9 TWO-WINGED FLIES OF TRIBE MILTOGRAMMINI ALLEN" 63 



he slightly modified the name Araba to Arabella, for the sake of 

 euphon}^, and designated Tachina argyrocephala Meigen, the third of 

 the originally included species, as the genotype. Since argyrocephala 

 is a synonym of leucocepJtola, the genotype of Metopia, Araha becomes 

 a synonym of Metopia. This synonomy, rather vaguely defined by 

 Coquillett, in his 1910 paper on type species, was recently clearly 

 pointed out to me by Dr. J. M. Aldrich, in correspondence. While 

 the type of Araba is unquesti(Hiably a Metopia, certain species for- 

 merly placed in this genus are certainly distinct from Metopia. 

 Eumetopia, proposed by Brauer and Bergenstamm in 1899, is pre- 

 occupied. Sphenometopa, proposed by Townsend in 190S, for Araha 

 nehdosa Coquillett, appears to be the earliest valid name. After an 

 examination of types, I am of the opinion that Euaraba and Arahiopsis 

 are congeneric with Splienometopa. The European /as^^/o^sa Meigen 

 also belongs here. 



The characters of this genus based on a study of the European 

 species, fastuosa Meigen and three North American species are 

 as follows. Front wider in female than in male; frontal vitta much 

 wider than parafrontals, setulose or hairy on the sides, between the 

 frontal rows and below the ocellar triangle; ocellar bristles very 

 weak or absent; a single frontal row on either side of frontal vitta, 

 descending at least to middle of second antennal joint; orbital 

 bristles present in both sexes; antennae extending nearly to vib- 

 rissae; penultimate joint of arista not more than twice as long as wide; 

 facial ridges with strong macrochaetae extending more than half 

 way from vibrissae to base of antennae; head length at vibrissae 

 much less than at base of antennae; parafacials without macro- 

 chaetae; proboscis stout and distinctly shorter than head height; 

 no pale hairs at the sides or back of the oral cavity. Thorax with 

 three strong postsutural dorsocentral bristles and two sternopleurals. 

 Intermediate abdominal segments without even, pollinose basal 

 bands. Male genitalia (pi. 1, fig. 4) small, and in repose, scarcely 

 visible in profile view; female with the usual retracted nonpiercing 

 larvipositor. Wings hyaline or with smoky spots; apical cell open 

 and ending far before extreme tip of wing; fourth vein with fold at 

 the bend; last section of fifth vein much less than half as long as 

 preceding section; costal spine absent or minute; only the third vein 

 bristly, and this at most with three to four bristles near its base. 

 Front pulvilli of both sexes less than half as long as the last tarsal 

 joint; basitarsus of fore leg of male (pi. 3, fig. 18) sometimes struc- 

 turally modified or ornamented; middle tibia with a single bristle 

 on outer front side near middle; hind tibia on outside with a row of 

 uneven bristles extending from base to apex with one bristle near 

 the middle much the largest. 



