REVIEW OF THE NEARCTIC TETANOCERID^.* 



A. L. Melander, Pullman, Washington. 



The flies of this family are commonly encountered in 

 meadows and along marshy shores, some species being quite 

 abundant. Their delightful colors, with prevailingly reddish 

 body and frequently pictured wings, make them preferred 

 insects with collectors. As their nomenclature has passed 

 through such revolutionary changes since the publication of 

 Aldrich's Catalog, fifteen years ago, the writer prepared a 

 synopsis of the group to help with their identification. As a 

 curious coincidence, about six months after the manuscript was 

 sent away for publication, an unexpected revision of the same 

 group by E. T. Cresson, Jr., appeared in the Transactions of the 

 American Entomological Society. The publication of several 

 of the new genera and species diagnosed in my manuscript made 

 it necessary to recall the copy from the editor and to revise it. 

 To make the tables complete, Cresson's new genera and species 

 and additional localities cited by him have been incorporated. 

 I am also indebted to Cresson for the information concerning 

 the prior use of Eiithycera Latreille over Lunigera Hendel. 

 Aside from these changes, the nomenclature previously decided 

 upon I have retained. A comparison of the two papers will dis- 

 close a few instances where we do not agree. Most of these 

 concern the identification of European species. It is interesting 

 to- note that independently, without knowing of the other's 

 work, we both arrived at the same conclusions so many times. 

 For example, Mr. Cresson's new genera, Hoplodictya and 

 Dictyomyia, based on previously known species, were likewise 

 described as new by me. 



Mr. Cresson's studies were based mainly on Eastern material, 

 while the present paper, dealing entirely with my own collection, 

 is based principally on Western forms. The combination of the 

 two, therefore, brings to light so much new material and so 

 many changes in nomenclature that the list in Aldrich's Catalog 

 now seems antiquated. Aldrich listed fifty species and seven 

 genera from north of Mexico as coming in this family. Of these, 



* Contribution from the Zoology Laboratory of the State College of Wash- 

 ington. 



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