Aphiochaeta. 321 



73. A. variabilis Wood. 



1909. Wood, Ent. Month. Mag. 2, XX, 118, 146 (Phora). - 1914. Brues, 

 Bull. Wisc. Nat. Hist. Soc. XII, 135. 



Male. Frons broader than high, greyish black, dull; inner bristle 

 of lower row a little below the outer and a little nearer to it than to 

 the upper supraantennal ; supraantennal bristles strong, equal or 

 practically so, the upper about as distant as the inner bristles of middle 

 row or a little nearer together, the lower slightly more approximate. 

 Antennæ small, brown or blackish brown, third joint visibly pubescent 

 at apex, arista long, distinctly pubescent. Palpi somewhat large, 

 yellow or orange, with rather strong bristles. Thorax black, a little 

 shining; it is often more or less reddish at the postalar calli or at the 

 sides and sometimes quite brownish or reddish; the pubescence brown. 

 Pleura black or more or less to quite reddish. Mesopleura with uniform 

 bristles. Abdomen somewhat robust, black, somewhat greyish, dull; 

 it has distinct, short hairs almost not longer at the hind margins of 

 the segments, but somewhat longer at the hind margin of sixth seg- 

 ment, especially at the sides; at the hind corners of second segment 

 the hairs are somewhat conspicuous. Hypopygium relatively small, 

 grey; it has quite small hairs on the sides and behind and, when in 

 good condition, a longer bristly hair is seen below on each side; 

 ventral plate yellow, square, but with the end rounded, somewhat 

 short; anal tube yellow, of medium length, but high. Legs yellow 

 with the apex of hind femora blackened, sometimes they are darker, 

 the posterior legs being brownish; front tarsi a little stoutish, hind 

 femora rather broad, the hairs below not long, though rather distinct, 

 beginning at the base with shorter, somewhat denser hairs; bristles 

 on hind tibiæ strong, the dorsal hair-seam distinctly deflected anterior- 

 ly in or above the middle. Wings somewhat strongly brownish or 

 yellowish brown, veins brown; costa reaching to or beyond the middle, 

 sometimes a little shorter, 1 generally a little shorter than 2+3, 

 but often nearly or quite equal to them or even a little longer, but the 

 relative lengths somewhat varying; costal cilia full long; angle at 

 fork generally somewhat acute, but also varying; fourth vein distinctly 

 curved in its first part, for the rest slightly curved. Halteres yellow. 

 I Female. In all respects similar to the male; front tarsi likewise 

 a little strong. 



Length 1,5 to fully 2,5 mm, the smallest sizes rarely met with. 



Remarks : As seen Wood's statement that 1 is shorter than 2 + 3 

 is not always correct, and I do not fmd it specially so in the female; 



21 



I 



