28 Psyche [February 



At least two species with the costa falling short of the wing mid- 

 dle are recorded as parasitic on insects, viz., fasciata Fallen, and 

 nedce Malloch. -Both of these species were recorded as occurring 

 on Coccinellidse and are not closely allied to 'parasitica. There 

 are besides the records mentioned in this paper several others 

 already published which serve to show that the parasitic habit is 

 by no means rare in Phoridje though but few species have so far 

 been reared under observation. 



Aphiochaeta destructor sp. nov. 



Male: Yellow. Antennse reddish-yellow; palpi pale yellow. Abdomen slightly 

 brownish on dorsum; anal protuberance pale yellow. Legs yellow; mid coxae with a 

 distinct black spot on posterior surface; apices of hind femora broadly brown. 

 Wings clear, veins yellowish. Halteres yellow. (This description is drawn from 

 alcoholic specimens. The color in fresh or dry mounted examples will probably be 

 slightly darker.) 



Frons subquadrate; lower pair of post-antennals distinctly weaker than upper 

 pair; center pair of bristles in first row distinctly lower on frons, and, vertically, 

 about midway between them and the central suture; anntena slightly enlarged, 

 third joint rounded; palpi large, but not swollen, protruding as far as the apex of 

 antenna, about 8 short black setulse on the under surface of each. Mesopleura with 

 numerous short hairs and a long, black, backwardly directed bristle on the upper 

 posterior portion; scutellum with 4 sub-equal bristles. Abdomen tapering slightly; 

 segments sub-equal; second segment with 2-3 short setulse on the lateral margins 

 of dorsum; anal protuberance large and stout, its surface with several black hairs, 

 and the apical pair distinct. Legs stout, the hind femora and tibiae dilated; mid 

 tibial setulse weak, those on the hind tibia distinct, the longest one about equal in 

 length to one-half the diameter of the tibia, 9-10 in number, and extending from 

 base to apex. Costa reacliing to slightly beyond middle of wing, fringe very close, 

 the hairs slightly longer than diameter of costa; first costal division equal in length 

 to second and third together; third about one-fifth as long as second; fourth vein 

 gently arcuated, ending well before wing tip. 



Length: 1.75 mm. 



Type and Paratype: From Noctuid pupa, Poerwakerto, Java, June, 1911. 



This species bears a close resemblance to scalaris Loew. in wing 

 characters, but is otherwise readily distinguished especially by 

 the bristling of the mesopleura which is bare in scalaris. The 

 long backwardly directed bristle on the mesopleura is found in 

 several previously described species. The European species 

 ciliata Zetterstedt is perhaps the commonest and most widely 

 distributed of this group, but is readily distinguished from any 

 of the species that are known to be parasitic, or at least to feed upon 



