EHAGOVELIA. 173 



Subfamily III. VELIIX^. 



This subfamily is composed of insects having a somewhat com- 

 mon facias. They are aquatic in habits, and mostly frequent 

 fresh water: but the genera Halovelia, Bergr., and Trocliopus, 

 Carp., are marine. The Veliinae are almost universally distributed, 

 but our knowledge of the genera and species is still incomplete. 



Si/tiojjsis of Generd. 



A. Anterior femora straight or nearly straight, 



uot prominently curved in either sex. 



a. Body elongate ; antennte long, with third 



and fourth joints moderately slender. 



a. Intermediate and posterior tarsi equal or 



subequal in length PtHAGOVELiA, p. 171. 



b. Intermediate tarsi longest Velia. p. 172. 



b. Body short, subovate ; antennae moderately 



short and stout. 



a. Pronotum subangularly posteriorly pro- 



duced "....." MiCEOTELIA, p. 174. 



b. Pronotum convexly posteriorly pro- 



duced ". Peeittopus, p. 175. 



B. ^Anterior femora strongly curved in female : 



antennae with third and fom'th joints 



slender Baptista, p. 1 7 " 



/ .J. 



Genus RHAGOVELIA. 



Rhagovelia, Mayr, Vei-h. znol.-bot. Ges. Wien, 186-5, p. 445 ; Champ. 



Biol. Centr.-Am., Bhynch. ii, p. 131 (1898). 

 Bajcula, Stdl. Hem. Afr. iii, p. 167 (1866). 

 Neovelia, Buck. TJliite. Journ. Linn. Soc. Zool. xiv. p. 487 



(1879). 



Type, E. nigricans, Burm.. from the Southern PaliEarctic Eegion 

 and Mascarene Islands. 



Distribution. Probably found in all the principal zoo-geographical 

 regions. 



In the different diagnoses of tiiis genus much confusion exists 

 as to the estimation of the number of tarsal joints by different 

 observers. As Champion remarks, the genus is well characterized 

 by the three-jointed tarsi, and the long, deeply-fissured, terminal 

 joint of the intermediate tarsi. The same writer observes : — " In 

 this fissure there is a series of long ciliated hairs, arising from a 

 common stem, which are probably extended, fan-hke, when the 

 insect moves about on the surface of the water ; these hairs are 

 sometimes partly extended in dried specimens, but they are usually 

 hidden within the fissure."' 



The EhagovehiP are found on the surface of fresh water. 



