Aphiochaeta. 369 



the lower small or minute; the upper supraantennals nearly as distant 

 as the inner bristles of middle row, the lower a little more approximate. 

 Antennæ small, brown, arista distinctly pubescent. Palpi smallish, 

 yellow or a little dusky, with ordinary bristles. Thorax blackish brown 

 to reddish brown, very slightly shining, with brownish piibescence. 

 Pleura more or less brownish. Mesopleura bare. Abdomen black, dull, 

 with short hairs visible almost only at the hind margins of the seg- 

 ments. Hypopygiiim large, somewhat knob-like, longer than the sixth 

 segment; it is dark greyish brown; near each lower corner tliere are 

 two rather strong bristles and behind there are small hairs; the ventral 

 plate is yellow, somewhat broad, but short; anal tube quite short, 

 yellow or yellowish. Legs yellowish, the hind legs may be slightly 

 brownish, especially the apical part of hind femora; the hairs below 

 the basal part of hind femora not long; bristles on hind tibiæ numerous 

 and hair-like. Wings somewhat brownish tinged, veins brown and 

 somewhat strong; costa shorter than to the middle of the wing, but 

 sometimes nearly reaching the middle; 1 equal to 2 + 3 or longer; 

 costal cilia long, but somewhat moderately; angle at fork somewhat 

 large; fourth vein a little curved in the basal part, for the rest slightly 

 and evenly curved. Halteres blackish to brown. 



Female. Similar to the male; antennæ brown to reddish; halteres 

 paler than in the male, brownish to dusky yellow, but never pure 

 yellow; venter yellowish or brownish to dark brown. 



Length 1 — 1,5 mm. 



The female of this species was hitherto not known; I have not 

 taken the species in copula, but I have no doubt that the female 

 belongs here, first it agrees in all respects with the male, and next 

 I have often taken it in company with the male. On account of the 

 somewhat pale halteres it might perhaps be confused with pulicaria^ 

 but it will be known by the shorter costa and shorter costal cilia, the 

 relatively longer first costal division, the smaller curve of fourth vein 

 and generally by the small lower supraantennals and the reddish 

 antennæ; it is also generally a smaller species. 



A. discreta is not rare in Denmark; Dyrehaven, Geel Skov (the 

 author), Holte (Th. Mortensen), on Bogø south of Sealand, on Lange- 

 land at Lohals and in Jutland at Hejls and Skamling south of Kolding, 

 JelHng and Ry (the author); my dates are ^U — U in 1917 to 1921. 

 I have taken it with the net in low herbage in humid piaces in woods, 

 it generally occurs rather low down, near the ground, and also run- 

 ning among the dead leaves on the ground. 



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