THE INSECTS OE NEW JERSEY. 



711 



p. cinerea Banks. Riverton VI, 8. 



P. superba Banks. Riverton VII, 29. 



P. albitarsis Banks. Del. Water Gap VII, 8, 15. 



Family STENOXENID^. 



STENOXENUS Coq. 

 S. johnsoni Coq. Type of the family and genus was collected at Dunn- 

 field, Del. Water Gap VII, 11, 1908; very rare, and habits in early 

 stages unknown. 



Family CHIROXOMID.^. 



These flies are indifferently named "gnats," "midges," sand-flies" or 

 "punkies," the latter two names chiefly applied to the few minute forms 

 with piercing mouth parts. They somewhat resemble mosquitoes in 

 appearance, but have naked wings, and the thorax is produced so as to 

 hide the small head from above. The antennae in the male are lengthily 

 plumose, and in the female are also furnished with lateral hair. The 

 insects occur at all seasons, many of them in spring, and they dance in 

 the early evening in great swarms only a few feet above ground, usually 

 in a damp locality. The larvae live in water on living or dead vegetation, 

 or on sap of trees, under fallen leaves or decaying vegetable matter. 



As a rule, they are harmless, except for the annoyance caused by the 

 biting tribes, but the larva of one species at least mines the leaves of 

 water plants, and thus becomes injurious in a very limited and special 

 way. 



CERATOPOGON Meigen. 



Fig. 294. — Ceratopogon stellifer; much enlarged. 



C. exilis Coq. Riverton X, 9. 



C. fusculus Coq. Riverton IV, 30. 



