THE SYRPHID GENERA HAMMERSCHMIDTIA 

 AND BRACHYOPA IN CANADA. 



By C. Howard Curran, 

 Orillia, Ontario. 



In presenting the present paper the author must offer 

 apologies for its evident incompleteness, as it has been found 

 impossible in the short time available to complete the drawings 

 so necessary to illustrate the distinctive characters in a genus 

 which is evidently somewhat confusing. A paper on the 

 genus Sphegina was practically completed, with the necessary 

 drawings, when it was learned that Dr. C. L. Metcalf already 

 had a paper prepared on this genus, and it was therefore 

 decided to review the genera indicated in the title, in so far 

 as they are known in North America, with especial reference 

 to the Canadian species. 



According to my observations it is essential, in dealing with 

 the majority of genera of Syrphidce which occur in Canada, 

 to include practically all the North American species, in any 

 discussion which relates to their classification. For this reason 

 the scope of the present paper is larger than the title may 

 indicate. 



Both Hammer schmidtia and Brachyopa, as genera, cannot 

 be looked upon as well represented in most collections, although 

 it seems that none of the species can be regarded as actually 

 rare, and are, with the exception of B. gigas, probably of general 

 distribution, and occur over the greater part of the United 

 States and Canada. In Ontario I have records of six species 

 of Brachyopa and one species of Hammer schmidtia. While 

 the genitalia are not discussed in the present paper, they have 

 been studied, and in every case bear out the apparent specific 

 limitations. 



Brachyopa Meigen. 



Medium sized flies; head narrower than the thorax; face mod- 

 erately produced downwards and forwards, concave, not tuberculate; 

 antennee short, third joint oval, rarely more roundish; arista basal, 

 bare, pubescent or short plumose; eyes touching for a greater or less 

 distance, bare; front in female narrowed above. Thorax a little nar- 

 rowed in front, usually with some stouter hairs on the meospleuroe 



139 



