The Crane-Flies of New York — Part II 859 



The immature stages of several species have been made known, but 

 there are still very considerable gaps in the present knowledge. The 

 larvae are among the most carnivorous of all crane-fly larvae. The 

 feeble chitinization of the m: ntal region allows for great distention, and 

 oftentimes the prey of thei^e larvae consists of forms tliat are nearly as 

 large as the captors themselves. 



The data regarding extra-American species may be summarized as 

 follows: 



Limnophila hryohia Mik (1881:205-206) was reared from moss, taken in 

 the Auckland Islands, near New Zealand, in the summer (December to 

 Februar}^) of 1874-75. The moss was dried and then placed in a tem- 

 perature of from 12 to 15 Reaumur. In March of 1879 an adult fly 

 appeared. This long interval of more than four years was supposed by 

 Mik to have been passed In^ the insect as a larva, the dry moss furnishing 

 th(5 food. Possibly the eggs were carried over for a long period before 

 hatching. 



Limnophila sinistra Hutton, of New Zealand, has been discussed in some 

 detail by Hudson (1920:33-34), v/ho states that this species is ,common in 

 most dens3 forests thruout the country. The larva inhabits fallen tree- 

 trunks in an advanced state of decay, forming burrows between the soft, 

 decayed part and the harder part of the wood. It is about 25 millimeters 

 in length, cylindrical, tapering toward the head, which is very small, and 

 fui'nis'ied with two minute jaws and a pair of very short antennae. There 

 are eleven visible body segments. The extremity of the last segment is 

 truncate and deeply excavated, the concavity being protected by five con- 

 verging spines, which can be spread out or drawn inward at the will of 

 the insect. Pedal warts occur on the undersides of all the segments except 

 the three irnxUiediately following the head and the terminal segment. The 

 pupa is about 12 millimeters in length, and rather stout. The breathing 

 horns are about one-third the length of the wing sheaths, and are mod- 

 erately stout and strongly recurved. There are two dorsal rows of hooks 

 on each exposed abdominal segment and one ventral row near the termi- 

 nal extremity. The valves of the ovipositor are strongly recurved and 

 ver}^ stout. The head and the thorax are dark brownish black, highly 

 polished; the abdomen is grayish ocherous, darker in the middle; the ovi- 

 positor and the terminal segments of the posterior tarsi arc reddish. 

 The pupa rests in a burrow made by the larva near the surface of the log. 



