830 Charles Paul Alexander ♦ 



The adult flies of the various species of Dicranoptycha are usually 

 abundant where they occur. They may be found resting on the upper 

 surface of leaves of shrubbery and tall herbage in open woods, often far 

 from wat(>r, which is not so necessary for development as with most 

 species of Tipulidae. 



Subtribc Rhamphidaria 



The division Rhamphidaria includes the genus Rhamphidia, with the 

 possible addition of a few exotic genera. Rhamphidia is one of the con- 

 stituent genera of the former group Antochini, but differs considerably 

 from all others whose life histories have been made known. The closest 

 relatives of Rhamphidia seem to be the Dicranoptycharia, on the one hand, 

 and the lowermost divisions of the Hexatomini, on the other. The 

 larvae and the pupae of Rhamphidia present a curious eriopterine appear- 

 ance, but their structure indicates only a distant relationship with the 

 Eriopterini. 



Genus Rhamphidia Meigen (Gr. rostrum) 



1825 Megnrhina St. Farg. et Serv. Encyclop. Method., Ins., vol. 10, part 2, p. 585. 



1825 Heiius St. Farg. et Serv. Encyclop. Method., Index, p. 831. 



1829 Leptorhina Steph. Cat. Brit. Ins., vol. 2, p. 24.3. 



1830 Rhamphidia Meig. Syst. Beschr. Zweifl. Ins., vol. 6, p. 281. 



Larva. — Body terete. A transverse welt, covered with microscopic scabrous points, on 

 ventral surface of basal annuU of abdominal segments 2 to 7. Spiracular disk surrounded 

 by five short lobes which are fringed with abundant, rather long, hairs. Head capsule 

 massive, generalized in structure. Mandible short and stout, ending in two subequal blunt 

 teeth. Maxilla consLstrng of two rather short, densely hairy lobes. Antenna short. 

 Hypopharynx chitinized, outer margin with about a dozen teeth. Mentum not completely 

 divided, with five teeth. Coloration of body dark brown, produced by the dense appressed 

 pubescence covering it. 



Pupa.- — Cephalic crest double, the anterior part low, the posterior part the larger; lobes 

 setiferous, divergent. Two setae on front between eyes. Pronotal breathing horns long 

 and slender, slightly curved. Mesonotum convex. Wing sheaths reaching end of second 

 abdominal segment. Leg sheaths ending just before posterior margin of fourth abdominal 

 segment; all the tarsi about equal in length, or those of fore legs a little longer. Abdominal 

 segments with two narrow basal rings and a broader posterior ring having four narrow 

 transverse bands of spicules and comparatively few setae. Spiracles rather large on 

 pleurites 2 to 7, and a large conspicuous pair on dorsum of segment 8. 



Rhamphidia is a small genus of crane-flies (about thirty-five species), 

 widely distributed thruout the temperate and tropical regions of the world. 

 The larvae of the European R. longirostris Meig. were found by Gercke 



