Dec. iSgy] ToWNSEND : DiPTERA FROM THE TaMAULIPAN REGION. 173 



with a slight rosy tinge to the yellow. Disk of thorax abruptly rust-yellowish brown; 

 with a narrow black vitta near border on each side, interrupted at suture and bor- 

 dered on inside with a rust-yellow margin, but on outside with a hardly perceptible 

 one between the vitta itself and the rust-yellowish brown line belonging to the ground 

 color ; in the middle with a pair of narrow uninterrupted vittae, both narrowly mar- 

 gined inside and out with rust-yellow. Semicircular area below scutellum blackish, 

 yellowish next scutellum. First segment of abdomen almost wholly yellow with a 

 greenish tinge. (N, B. — The above description was made from fresh specimens just 

 captured. What follows is drawn from dried specimens. ) The colors change 

 somewhat in dried specimens. Two broad blackish vittae often appear on mesoscu- 

 tum after specimens have become dried. The semicircular area of metathorax below 

 scutellum is divided into two crescent-like portions, the lower one and lower half of 

 upper being brown, and the rest yellowish. Abdomen yellowish-red or reddish-yel- 

 low, but I believe it is more of a rust-yellowish in fresh specimens, and certainly 

 much lighter ; first segment broad, lunate, with yellowish hairs ; hind border of each 

 segment darker, also base of second segment same except extreme base which is yel- 

 lowish. Third, fourth and fifth segments with a median pair of narrow, closely ap- 

 proximated, longitudinal, parallel, brown lines. Legs yellow, the distal half of hind 

 tibiae brownish. Anterior-basal half of wings yellowish, extending on outer border 

 distally to end of third costal cell, inner border of yellow thence' extending back some- 

 what irregularly to middle or basal third of anal cell, except that it runs down the 

 inner border of apical cell inside of .spurious vein ; inner-apical half, or rest of wing, 

 dilute fuscous, the centers of the two posterior, anal, discal and submarginal cells be- 

 ing dilute or sub-clear. A wrinkle in distal end of second basal cell, extending into- 

 discal cell ; three whitish spots in transverse line, one on proximal end of this wrin- 

 kle, one on spurious vein which is here slightly enlarged, and one opposite in margi 

 nal cell. Halteres yellowish, with a brownish tinge on knobs. 



9 . Length, 1 1 mm. Differs from $ as follows : Eyes not contiguous. Rust 

 yellowish of front extending back nearly to ocellar area, a narrow median blackish 

 vitta on its posterior half. Posterior portion of front brassy-yellowish, narrowly en- 

 closing ocellar area in front. Wings with the yellow as in ^ , but with no fuscous 

 except at end of submarginal cell, very narrowly in end of marginal, on vein at distal 

 end of anal cell, and faintly on small cross-vein. Abdomen with the two median 

 lines on third to fifth segments heavier, with slightly oblique more or less faint brown 

 lines on sides, and with lateral edges of third to sixth segments brown. Second 

 segment pale brownish with a broad yellowish curved anteriorly convex fascia across 

 middle. The 9 has the abdomen wider than the $. 



Nineteen specimens, as follows : One $ and two $ 's, Brownsville, 

 June 21. Taken on flowers of Clematis drummondii Torr. &. Gray, 

 and Monarda cli?iopodioides Gray. Nine $ 's and five $ 's, Browns- 

 ville, June 22. Taken on flowers of Clematis drummondii. Also one 

 $ not on flowers. One $ , Roch's Resaca, about three miles up the 

 river from Brownsville, June 25, On flowers of Clematis drummondii, 

 in opening of heavy timber — big trees with hanging moss. 



Belongs to the neotropical group of phcetoptera Schin., livida 



