68 Journal of Entomology and Zoology 
group of crane-flies. The species described hereinafter were reared at Lawrence, 
Kansas, and the general conditions under which they occur may be briefly discussed: 
North Hollow, on the Campus of the University of Kansas, is a typical dry Austral 
woodland traversed by a small stream that is entirely dry during the months of mid- 
summer drought. The soil consists of a rich black humus that is soft and mellow 
except during the period of greatest dryness, being overlain by a varying depth of vege- 
table debris and leaf-mold. It is in this relatively dry soil that the larve of 
Dicranoptycha occur. The forest cover consists of Carolina poplar, Populus deltoides 
Marsh; black walnut, Juglans nigra L., white elm, Ulmus americana L.; Kentucky 
coffee-tree, Gymnocladus dioica (L.) Koch; honey locust, Gleditsia triacanthos L.; red 
bud, Cercis canadensis L.; yellow wood, Cladrastis lutea (Mx.f.) Koch; tree-of-heaven, 
Ailanthus glandulosa Desf., etc. The principle shrubs are the goose-berry, Ribes 
gracile Mx.; poison ivy, Rhus Toxicodendron L.; wahoo, Evonymus atropurpureus 
Jacq.; bladder-nut, Staphylea trifolia L.; coral-berry, Symphoricarpos orbiculatus 
Moench.; blackberried elder, Sambucus canadensis L., etc. The herbage is made up 
of tall grasses, compesites and, in the spring, the all-dominant cleavers, Galium. In 
addition to the above, great tangles of lianas (Smilax, Vitis, dmpelopsis, etc.) are 
found. 
In situations such as the above these Austral species of Dicranoptycha spend their 
entire lives. The first larve of D. winnemana were found here on March 20, 1918, 
by the writer and his wife. At this time they were well grown (length 16 mm.; diam- 
eter 0.9 mm.). They occurred just beneath the cover of fallen leaves and other debris 
in the upper layers of soil. Here they were associated with pupe of Tipula angusti- 
pennis Lw., larve of Sciara (Mycetophilide) ; Psilocephala hemorrhoidalis Macq. 
(Therevide), numerous beetle larve, centipedes, etc. By their elongate form and 
glabrous shiny skin they are very characteristic and easily recognized. The glassy 
appearance of the body suggests the shiny shells of a small coiled molluscan whose 
dead fragments occurred in some numbers in the same situations. These larve were 
placed in rearing and the first adults appeared in the breeding-cages cn May 6, and 
from that time on continued to appear in large numbers. It was over a month later 
that the first individuals were taken in the field. The pupal duration could not be 
determined closer than ten days, and this may be the usual length of time required 
for this stage. The first larve of D. minima were found on July 2, 1918, in similar 
situations in North Hollow. At this time they were only about one-half grown. On 
July 11 much larger larve of this species were secured and placed in rearing, emerg- 
ing as adults on July 21. The larve, like these of D. winnemana, live just beneath 
the layer of leaf-mold in the upper zone of black soil. They are usually quite slug- 
gish in their motions but at other times are quite active. The larve are herbivores 
and feed <n the rich organic earth in their haunts. When ready to pupate they 
encase themselves in earthen cells (10 mm. X 3.5 mm.), firm in texture, rather thick- 
walled but without silk. There is a small opening at either end. The length of the 
cavity is but little greater than the pupa itself. In this cavity the pupa rests and 
matures. As in other insects, the teneral pupe are very pale yellow but gradually 
darken in color until, at emergence, they are of a dark brownish-black. When newly 
transformed the teneral flies rest on the ground and on the leaves of low plants nearby. 
The adult flies of D. germana usually occur in the immediate neighborhood of 
running or stagnant water and may be swept from the rank vegetation in such places. 
The flies rest on the upper surface of the leaves of tall herbs and low shrubs. In 
