282 Annals Entomological Society oj America [Vol. VI,. 



8. Agromyza melampyga Loew. 



Plate XXX, Fig. 20; Plate XXXI, Fig. 31. 



Syn: Agromyza melampyga Loew, Dipt. Amer. Sept. Indig. Cent. 8, 1869. 

 Agromyza sorosis Williston, Trans. Ent. Soc. London, 1896, p. 429. 

 Agromyza flavivenlris Johnson, Can. Ent. Vol. 34, 1902, p. 242. 



Male and Female: Head yellow, only black behind and on ocellar 

 region; frons about one-third the width of head, almost parallel-sided, 

 except at just anterior to vertex, where the eyes round ofif and the 

 frons becomes rather abruptly wider; bristling normal; cheeks narrow, 

 distinctly higher posteriorly, marginal bristles weak, anterior vibrissa 

 incurved, of moderate size; antennee rather below the average size, 

 third joint rounded, arista brown, tapering, distinctly but shortly 

 pubescent, slightly longer than the length of from its base to vertex; 

 proboscis and palpi yellow. Thorax colored and marked as in xantho- 

 phora; four pairs of dorso-central bristles present; the anterior two pairs 

 much reduced in size ; other bristling as in that species ; squamae brown- 

 ish from near base, the apex blackish, fringe brown. Abdomen vary- 

 ing from yellow to brown, with pale apices to segments; all segments 

 with numerous black hairs. Legs generally entirely yellow, sometimes, 

 the tibiae and tarsi are darkened somewhat; mid tibias with two yellow 

 posterior bristles present. Wings clear, or slightly grayish; first costal 

 division about one-half as long as second; second, third and fourth veins, 

 divergent on outer third ; outer cross vein distinctly shorter than section 

 of fourth vein anterior to it, or almost as long as it, first and second 

 sections of fourth vein subequal, or the former slightly the shorter;, 

 penultimate section of fifth vein about three-fourths as long ultimate 

 section. Halteres yellow. 



Length, 13^-2 mm. 



This species was originally described from District of 

 Columbia, (Osten Sacken) by Loew. Coquillett records it 

 (Bull. 10 in ser. U. S. Dept. Agric. 1898, p. 77) as bred from 

 leaves of a cultivated species of Philadelphicus, collected at 

 Washington, D. C. during the latter part of July, 1884, and 

 from mines in leaves of Plantago major, collected June 28, 

 1888, same locality. He states that the larva pupated within 

 the mines. These specimens are in collections at U. S. National 

 Museum. Besides these specimens there is one from Biscayne 

 Bay, Florida, (Mrs. A. T. Slosson) and I have examined a 

 series reared from Plantain, June 26, 1912, Lafayette, Indiana, 

 (J. J. Davis). 



Johnson described flaviventris from Niagara Falls, New 

 York. Williston's species was from St. Vincent, West Indies. 

 Other localities: New Jersey (Smith); White Mountains, 

 New Hampshire (Mrs. A. T. Slosson). 



