NEW AMERICAN DIPTEROUS INSECTS OF THE FAMILY 



PIPUNCULID^ 



By J, R. Malloch, 



Of the Bureau of Entomology, United States Department of Agriculture. 



While residing in Medicine Hat, Alberta, last autumn, I collected 

 a number of specimens of Diptera, which I have turned over to the 

 United States National Museum. Among them were some specimens 

 of Pipunculidse, which an examination proved were unrepresented 

 in the collection and were also undescribed. It has always been my 

 desire to make my specimens more useful hj having them identified 

 before turning them over to any museum, and I am taking this 

 opportunity to describe the three new species of Pipunculus from 

 Alberta, Canada, together with some of those undescribed in the 

 collection of the United States National Museum from other parts 

 of America. 



I may mention here that I consider that Dr. Garry de N. Hough 

 was mistaken in supposing that reipuhlicse Walker is identical with 

 fuscus Loew, which view was also adopted by Cresson. It is far 

 more likely, and I believe it to be, the species described by Cresson 

 as atramontensis Banks. Reference to Walker's original description 

 discloses the fact that he describes it as having the ' ' abdomen brassy 

 black, thinly clothed with white down, poisers pale yellow" and 

 "legs tawny with a black band at base of each thigh." ^ In the 

 original description of fuscus Loew the legs are given as having the 

 femora black except at bases and apices, which is very different from 

 Walker's interpretation if he had the same species before him. In the 

 case of atramontensis Banks, there is a spot (which may be a more 

 or less complete ring in some cases) at the base of each femur, which 

 is what Walker very probably had before him in reipuhlicx. This 

 is the only American described species with that peculiar coloration. 



PIPUNCULUS OCCIDENTALIS, new species. 



Male. — Eyes rather widely separated, the frontal stripe wider at 

 midway between antennae and ocelli than frons at above antennae, 

 no raised central frontal ridge, frons silvery, the silvering gradually 



' Walker, L.^t of Dipt., vol. 3, 1849, p. 639. 



Proceedings U. S. Nationau Museum, Vol. 43— No. 1934. 



291 



