58 Journal New York Entomological Society. [Voi. xviii. 



STUDIES ON SYRPHID^.— II. THE INVALIDITY OF 

 SCiEVA (=CATABOMBA) AS A GENUS. 



By Raymond C. Osburn, 



Columbia University, New York City. 

 (With Plate II.) 



Among the numerous and more or less unsuccessful efforts to 

 break up the large genus Syrphns, is the attempt to remove those 

 species in which the eyes of the males show an area of enlarged 

 facets on the upper portion. The separation of species with this 

 particular character, in correlation with certain others, has been made 

 by three authors in various ways, and each has proposed a new 

 generic name for the group thus removed. Certainly the best known 

 of these names is that of " Cataboniba," proposed by Osten Sacken* 

 to include SyrpJius pyrasfri Linne, on account of the enlarged facets, 

 swollen frons and small hypopygium. The name was adopted by 

 Williston (though in a recent letter he states that he always had an 

 inclination to reunite the genus with Syrphus), and also by Verrall 

 who maintains the validity of the genus. f A number of species 

 have been designated as belonging to " Cafabomba." Earlier than 

 this was the attempt of Rondani,:}: who gave the name " Lasiophthicus 

 (Lasiopticits)" to include the species having hairy eyes, naming S. 

 pyrastri as the type. This name is used by Aldrich in his Catalog 

 of N. A. Diptera. Still earlier was the revision of the genus Syrphus 

 by its author, Fabricius§, with the name " Sccrz'a" and 5'. pyrastri 

 designated as the type. This name, apparently, has priority over the 

 others. 



Incidentally, a considerable amount of discussion has arisen as to 

 which of the above authors should have the credit for erecting the 

 genus, and which name should stand. I am satisfied that all dis- 

 cussion of this matter is futile, however, for I have sufficient evidence 

 to prove that such a separation is untenable. No one would consider 



* Western Diptera, 1877, 326. 

 t Br. Flies, Syrphidae, 333-4> 

 t Nuov. An. Nat. Sci., 1844. 459. 

 § Syst. Antl., 1805, 248. 



