VIII. ON A NEW SPECIES OF BLEPHARO- 



CERID FLY FROM KASHMIR, TOGETHER 



WITH A DESCRIPTION OF SOME 



IvARVAE FROM THE SAME 



LOCALITY. 



By S. P. Agharkar, M.A., Rashbihan Ghosh Professor of 

 Botany^ Calcutta University. 



(Plates xvi-xvii.) 



While working in the Indian Museum in Januar}^ and Feb- 

 ruary, 19 14 I was asked by Dr. Annandale to examine and report 

 on the collection of Blepharocerid larvae and adults made b}^ Mr. 

 H. B, Bion of the Geological Survey of India at Nagaberan, in 

 Kashmir. The collection has proved very interesting in more 

 waj^s than one. The adults have proved to be specimens of a new 

 species {Philorus bionis) of the genus Philorus, which genus has not 

 hitherto been recorded from India. The larvae include specimens 

 of 3 species, none of which appear to agree with the descriptions 

 and figures of an}- of the previously described species ; the^^ either 

 represent new species or belong to species whose larvae are un- 

 known at present. It has to be noted that this is the first time 

 that an}' Blepharocerid larvae are being described from India. 

 The collection was made at an altitude of 10,000 — 10,500 ft., which 

 appears to be the greatest height from which an}- species of the 

 family have been recorded. All the specimens were obtained in 

 rapid-running streams and were captured by means of a hand- 

 net inserted into places where stones had just been overturned. 

 The adult flies were taken in the same wa}'' and at the same time 

 as the larvae. 



An interesting point is the occurrence of such a large number 

 of species (four) in the same localit^^ This, however, is a fact 

 which has been previously noticed by Kellogg with reference 

 to his New California larva, which was found to occur along with 

 the larvae of Bibiocephala comstocki and B. doanei in most streams 

 (c/. Kellogg, Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci. Zool., Vol. iii, No. 6, 1903). 



I have to thank Dr. Annandale for giving me the opportunity 

 of examining such an interesting collection. I have also to thank 

 him and Mr. Brunetti for valuable suggestions and help during 

 the course of the work. The illustrations were all drawn by Babu 

 D. N. Bagchi of the Indian Museum staff under my supervision, 

 and he has done the work with his usual skill. All the specimens 

 described are in alcohol. 



