OBSERVATIONS ON THE LIFE HISTORY OF A NEW 
SPECIES OF PSYCHODA.* 
Paut S. WELCH. 
During the first three weeks of October, 1912, while engaged 
in certain biological investigations at the Chicago Sewage 
Testing Station, the writer’s attention was attracted to a 
little white moth-like fly which occurred in great abundance in 
certain of the experimental tanks. An inspection of the form 
showed that it was one of the Psychodide belonging to the 
genus Psychoda. An examination was made of the rather 
extensive series of tanks and filters and it was found that these 
flies were confined to the immediate vicinity of the sprinkling 
filters and occurred in such great numbers as to indicate that 
not only were they breeding in or near the filters but that the 
environment must be a very favorable one. A survey of the 
animal life of the sludge of the sprinkling filters was being 
prosecuted at that time and the collections contained large 
quantities of a dipterous larva which when bred out produced 
the Psychodid fly. It was a very easy matter to rear this form 
and all the life history stages were observed. Furthermore 
collections from the filters often contained all of the life history 
stages from the egg to the adult. 
In attempting to establish the identity of the adult it was 
found that it does not agree with any of the descriptions given 
for known species. It belongs to the group including Ps. 
schizura Kincaid, and Ps. floridica Haseman, which resemble 
each other in the mottled black and white character of the 
wings. However, this species possesses characters which differ 
distinctly from either of the above mentioned forms. After 
making careful comparisons with the descriptions of the species 
of Psychoda, the writer is convinced that this form must be 
regarded as a new species. 
Psychoda albimaculata, n. sp. 
Male: Smaller than the female; length of body (exclusive of 
extended genitalia) about 1.74 mm. Head and thorax yellowish gray, 
densely clothed with long, erect, mingled black and gray hairs. Abdomen 
white, covered thickly with erect white hair; very few dark hairs. Brush of 
gray hair, about one-fourth the length of the abdomen, extending 
caudad from the dorsal posterior edge of the thorax. Antenne white; 
*Contribution from the Entomological Laboratories of the University of 
Illinois, No. 33. 
411 
