950 C/ZARLES Paul Alexander 



conspicuous bristles. Wing sheaths ending opposite base of third abdominal segment. 

 Leg sheaths unusually long, ending opposite base of sixth abdominal segment; hind legs the 

 longest, middle legs the shortest. Abdominal tergites with ten strong bristles, eight being 

 arranged in a single transverse row along posterior margin; abdominal pleurites with four 

 strong bristles, one on each anterior ring, two near caudal margin of posterior ring, one 

 ventrad of spiracle, the last-named rudimentary, located on segments 2 to 7; sternites unarmed 

 with bristles. 



Genus Chionea Dalman (Gr. snow) 



1810 Chionea Dalm. K. Vet. Akad. Hand!., vol. 1, p. 102. 



1912 Sph(eco7Wphilus Beck. Aan. Soc. Ent. Bolgique, vol. 56, p. 142. 



Chionea is a small genus of nearly apterous crane-flies, found thruout 

 the North Temperate Zone. All of the known species (about eight) 

 have the wings reduced to mere vestiges, this being the only genus of 

 considerable size in which all the species show this condition. The South 

 African genus Platylimnobia Alex., which shows a somewhat similar 

 condition of wing atrophy, is probably not very closely allied to Chionea. 



The adult flies of Chionea are most often found walking awkwardly 

 over the snow in the late fall or early spring or during warm days in 

 winter. A few instances, however, have been recorded in which specimens 

 were found with the temperature below freezing. At other seasons of 

 the year they may be found among fallen leaves, under moss and stones, 

 in the nests of small mammals as Arvicola (Schmitz, 1914), or in deserted 

 subterranean wasps' nests (Schmitz, 1916, and Becker, 1912). Interesting 

 accounts of the habits of the adult flies of the commonest local species, 

 Chionea valga Harris, are supplied by Ainslie (1906), Johnson (1907), 

 Washburn (1907), and others. Lugger (1896) gives the following interest- 

 ing account of the habits of the same species: 



As a general rule the wingless flies are found only early in the morning, though in one case 

 a female was discovered crawling over the snow in the evening. ... A few winters ago 

 the writer discovered a female moving slowly over the snow and by searching he soon detected 

 a male. Putting both together imder an inverted glass the snow-flies immediately mated, 

 notwithstanding it was several degrees below the freezing point. Soon afterward the female 

 found a crack in the glassy surface of the frozen enow, and forcing herself into it slowly 

 disappeared from view. Penetrating for some depth into the snow she deposited a number 

 of elongated eggs, which, however, did not hatch. Most females foimd seemed to have the 

 eggs already fully matured and only lacked to be fertilized. 



Frauenfeld (Brauer, Egger, and Frauenfeld, 1854:616) believed that 

 the eggs are deposited in snow, since they are often laid in January or 

 February. He thought the slimy substance secreted by the small lateral 



