August 1895.] 



psrciiE. 



273 



emerged and died, being discoveied 

 April 2, 1S93. On April 3, 1S93, :dl 

 ot tlie remaining galls were opened 

 Every one contained an insect, either as 

 adult, pupa, or in one case (that of tlie 

 smallest gall only 3 mm. in diameter) 

 a small shrivelled larva. The occu- 

 pants were as follows : Dead adults 

 (including the two that had emerged), 

 13; live adults, 6; pupae, iS; larva, i. 

 The pupa usually bears the cast larval 

 skin attached dorsallv to the anal ex- 

 tremity. 



The gall-llv is 4 to 4^ mm. long. 

 The whole insect is black, except 

 the abdomen and legs which are 

 orange-red. Wings subhvaline, shaded 

 with fuscous. It is a notalde fact that 

 no sign of a parasite was discovered in 

 all of these galls. 



I am indebted to Mr. Wm. II. Ash- 

 mead for identifving the Rhodites. It 

 is a very pretty species. The abdomen 

 changes to a dark but very higlilv 

 polislicd brown in drietl specimens. 



THE IJOMBVLID GENU.S ACREOTRIL'IIUS IN AMERICA. 



BY I). W. CfXijLIILI.KTT, WASHINGTON, D. C. 



For several vears past the writer 

 has enjoveil the privilege of examining 

 many interesting forms of Diptera taken 

 by Prof. O. B. Jolinson in various paits 

 of the state of Wasliington, and several 

 of these have been made known from 

 time to time in our various entomo- 

 logical jomnals. Among a recent 

 sending is a single specimen belonging 

 to the Bombylid genus Acreotrichus 

 of Macquart, heretofore known onlv 

 from Australia. It is closely related 

 to the genus Plithiria, dilTering in the 

 structure of the antennae and in the 

 densely hairy face. The species is as 

 follows : 



Acreotric/ius americaniis n. &p. $. Black, 

 iiicludiTig the p.ilpi and knob of halters, 

 only the stem of the latter is yellow. Eyes 

 contiguous, frontal triangle and face gray 

 pollinose, face anti underside of head 

 densely long black pilose. Antennae slightly 

 longer than the head, first joint twice as 

 long but not wider than the second, tlie 



latter as liroad as long, both ilcnselv long 

 black pilose; third joint slightly over twice 

 as long as the first, at its base narrower 

 than the second joint, continuing slender 

 nearly to the middle, then rather suddenly 

 e-cpanding to nearly twice its former width, 

 the greatest expansion being on its upper 

 side, then tapering quite suddenly to the 

 tip which is blimt; a short, bhmt-pointed 

 style on the upper side of this joint a short 

 distance before the apex; on the upper edge 

 of the expanded portion of this joint are 

 five black bristly hairs, each nearly half as 

 long as tlie joint itself. Proboscis us long 

 as the head and thorax taken together, the 

 labella very narrow; palpi filiform, two- 

 fifths as long as the proboscis. Thorax 

 velvety, the front corners, sides and pleura 

 gray pollinose, its pile black; scutellum 

 velvetv, densely black pilose. Abdomen 

 velvety, its pile light yellowish. Wings 

 hyaline, stigma yellow, second submarginal 

 cell not appendiculate, small crossvein 

 scarcely bevond the middle of the discal 

 cell. Length 7 mm. Washington. A single 

 specimen captured April 4, 1894 (O. B. 

 Johnson). 



