BITTACOMORPHA. 315 



beyond the fifth ; the two basal cells do not reach much bejoud 

 the middle of the wing (Tub. II, fig. 20). 



The peculiar meuibranaceous, spatulate, ciliated appendage, 

 inserted at the foot of the halteres, and observable in Ftychop- 

 tera, exists also in BiUacomoj'j^ha. 



The relationship of Bitlacomorplia and Ptychoptera is very 

 great and evident, all the difference of the outward appearance 

 notwithstanding. A rather large, transverse head, closely applied 

 to the thorax, a pointed epistoma, long palpi, large lips, a small 

 antenual scapus, a sinuate thoracic suture, an almost obsolete 

 collare, a large metathorax, the spatulate appendage, are charac- 

 ters common to both genera. The male forceps of both have a 

 similar structure ; the venation is almost the same ; if we suppress 

 the fork, inclosing the second posterior cell of Ptychoptera, we 

 obtain the venation of Bittacomorpha. 



The only known species of the genus, B. clavipes, was first 

 described by Fabricius, as Ptychoptera clavipes, in 1781. Mr. 

 Westwood erected the genus Bittacomorpjha for it (Lond. and 

 Edinh. Philos. Mag. 1835, p. 281). It has been found in North 

 America only. 



The name is derived from Bittacus, a neuropterous insect, 

 and /itopt^, shape, on account of a slight resemblance between 

 the two genera. 



Description of the species. 



1. B. claTipes Fab. % and 9 . — Nigra, mesonoti vitta, metathorace, 

 pleurisque albis ; pedibub albofasciatis. 



Black, a stripe on the mesonotum, the metathorax and the pleurae white ; 

 feet banded with white. Long. corp. 0.55. 



Syn. Tipula clavipes Fabricius, Spec. Insect. II, 404, 19 ; Mantissa Ins. II, 



323, 21 ; Ent. Syst. IV, 239, 25. 

 Ptychoptera clavipes Fabkicius, Syst. Antl. 22,4. — Wiedemann, Auss. 



Zweifl. I, p. 59. 

 Bittacomorpha clavipes Westwood, Lond. and Edinb. Philos. Mag. 



1835, p. 281. 



Head silvery white in front, vertex black on both sides ; pro- 

 boscis, palpi, and antennee brownish-black ; thorax velvet black 

 above, with a white longitudinal line in the middle of the meso- 

 notum ; pleui'se silvery white, sericeous : metathorax likewise ; 

 scutellum yellowish ; halteres with a brownish kncb ; femora 



