The Crane-Flies of New York — Part I 887 



Rhyphidae, the Trichocerinae are the most generaHzed, the Mycetobiinae 

 the most speciahzed, of the groups. 



The subfamiUes may be separated l)y the following key: 



1. Two distinct anal veins; radial sector three-branched Trichocerinae (p. 887) 



A single distinct anal vein; radial sector two-branched 2 



2. Cell 1st Mi present Rhyphinae (p. 



Cell 1st M'i lacking Mycetobiinae (p. 



SUBFAMILY Trichocerinac 



The subfamily Trichocerinae includes but two genera — Trichocera, 

 and Ischnothrix Bigot of Cape Horn. 



Genus Trichocera Meigen 



1800 Petaurista Meig. Nouv. Class. Moueh., p. 15 (nomen nudum). 

 1S03 Trichocera Meig. Illiger's Mag., vol. 2, p. 262. 

 1911 Paracladura Brun. Rec. Indian Mus., vol. 6, p. 286. 



In the genus Trichocera there are about twenty described species, 

 of which the majority are Holarctic in their distribution but a few are 

 from India and the antipodes. The species of this genus are in a very 

 chaotic condition taxonomically, and it seems difficult to remedy this 

 until the European and American forms can be critically studied and 

 compared. There can be little doubt that many of the species are 

 Holarctic in their distribution and the three or four evident species within 

 the limits here considered may be conspecific with the European forms. 

 The larvae, so far as known, live in decaying vegetable matter (Johannsen, 

 1910). The adult flies are common in autumn and early spring, and appear 

 in small swarms on warm, sunny days in 'winter. During the winter months 

 they are often found in cellars, resting on the windows. They are also to 

 be found in mines, and the writer has seen specimens from a Colorado 

 silver mine taken at a very considerable depth by Dr. H. B. Hungerford. 

 Some of the swarms of these flies number many thousands of individuals. 



The following key divides the local species of Trichocera: 



1. Second anal vein subsinuate; veins long-hairy; ovipositor fleshy. (Subgenus Dinzosma 



Bergr.) [Journ. N. Y. Ent. Soc, vol. 24, p. 124-125, pi. 8, fig.'lO. 1916.] (Plate XLI, 



166.) T. subsinuata Alex. 



Second anal vein short, incurved to the anal angle; veins not long-hairy; ovipositor chitin- 

 ized, turned downward, the concavity being on the lower face. (Subgenus Trichocera 

 Meig.) 2 



2. Wings with two brown clouds. [List Dipt. Brit. Mus., vol. 1, p. 84. 1S48.] 



T. bimacula Walk. 

 Wings unicolorous. [Winter Insects of New York, p. 9. 1848.) (Plate XLI, 165.) 



■^T. brumalis Fitch 



