86 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 



sub-families or groups of genera, when sufficient material has been 

 examined for a proper consideration of their taxonomy. Psyllomyia 

 and the new genus which it is necessary to found for Mr. Green's 

 species, would probably form one such group ; Stethopathus , Wandol- 

 leckia, and Chonocephalus a second ; Platyphora, Aenigmaticus 

 (probably the female of Platyphora), and .^nigmatistes* a third, 

 while other genera {e.g., Termitoxenia) appear to stand by themselves. 

 Most of these genera are, however, known only from females, and 

 from very few specimens at that, and it is possible that the dis- 

 covery of males would in several cases completely upset a classifi- 

 cation based solely on degenerate females, among which the 

 phenomenon of convergence has possibly been manifested. It is 

 even possible that the males of some of these genera are already 

 known under other generic names. The new genus here described 

 must, therefore, be regarded as a provisional one, until the corre- 

 sponding male has been discovered, Mr. Green's specimen, its 

 type, being clearly a female. 



Rhynchomickopteron, gen. no v. 



? Minute Phoridse with degenerate, almost linear wings, degene- 

 rate eyes, no ocelli, an elongate elbowed proboscis, a swollen 

 abdomen, of which all the segments are transverse and nearly all the 

 integument soft, three large forwardly directed bristles on each side 

 of the head and none on any part of the thorax. 



o unknown. 



The new genus appears, so far as can be judged from Loew's 

 description and figures, to differ from Psyllomyia chiefly in the 

 following points : — 



(1) The abdomen is soft. 



(2) The wings are much narrower. 



(3) The legs are entirely covered with hairs. 



(4) There are no chsetse on the thorax. 



(5) The cheeks bear no downwardly directed bristles. 



The two genera agree in the general form of the proboscis, 

 although in RhyncJiomicropteron the bend is further from the base 

 than in Psyllomyia ; but it is not possible with the material at my 

 disposal to investigate the minute structure of this organ. 



R. PULICIFOE.ME, sp. nOV. 



$ The habit is stout but moderately compressed, the insect having 

 a certain external resemblance to a flea. The head, thorax, and 

 legs are deep brown, the abdomen white tinged with brown, the 

 antennae and palpi yellow ; all the larger bristles are black ; the 

 length is about 1 mm. 



* This genus is not described in the Genera Insectorum ; see Shelford in the 

 Journ. Linn. Soc. (Zool.), XXX., p. 150, plate XXII. (1908), 



