% INSECUTOR INSClTIit MENSTRUUS 



Reproductive habit, probably leaf-larviposition of colored maggots. 

 Type, Signosomopsis argentea, new species. 



Signosomopsis argentea, new species. 



Length of body, 9.5 to 1 mm., not including the abdominal spines ; 

 of wing, 10 to 10.5 mm. One male and one female, eastern base of 

 Huascaray Ridge, about 7,000 feet, September 22, 191 1, on foliage. 



Head wholly silvery pollmose v^th a faint brassy tinge ; the parafron- 

 tals with a dusky shade due to the dark ground-color showing through ; 

 frontalia brownish-yellow. First two antenncJ joints reddish-yellow, third 

 joint and arista blackish. The male has the parafrontals more distinctly 

 brassy pollinose. Occipital pile brassy-gray, that of cheeks and lower 

 parafacials concolorous. Thorax dusky with a thick coat of brassy-gray 

 pollen in female and brassy pollen in male ; leaving four narrow brown 

 vittae, the outer pair widely interrupted at suture, the inner pair discon- 

 tinued a little behind suture. Scutellum slightly paler in ground color, 

 with same pollen as thoraix. In addition to the scutellar bristles given in 

 generic description there are four erect spinelike macrochaetae on each 

 side of disk. Abdomen is broadly light reddish-brown on each side of 

 first three segments. Very broad median subshining black vitta on first 

 three segments, continued narrowly on front border of anal pollinose mark- 

 ing and covering nearly posterior half of anal segment. The deep silvery 

 poUinose marking of anal segment has a faint brassy tinge, reaches sides 

 of segment anteriorly and is continued on venter along front border of 

 segment, but seen from above it appears to fade before reaching edge of 

 segment ; it is continued in a short pointed tongue on median line poste- 

 riorly, but does not reach apex of segment except very indistinctly in 

 oblique view. The pollen extends slightly on hind border of third seg- 

 ment on median line and less so laterally. Venter pale reddish-brown, 

 with bunches of spines on median line. Legs rust-yellow to paJe reddish, 

 the tibiae slightly lighter, the front and middle tarsi more yellowish, espe- 

 cially in female. Front tarsi of female beyond metatarsus noticeably 

 widened. Wings evenly infuscated but not deeply so ; tegulae with a 

 slightly paler infuscation, both scales whitish centrally. Halteres pale 



brownish. 



(To be continued.) 



Date of publication, June 29, 1914. 



