JOHNSON:— TAB AN/DAE 37 



SOME OF THE DIPTERA TO BE COLLECTED DURING APRIL 



AND MAY. 



BY C. W. JOHNSON, BOSTON, MASS. 



The Diptera is one of the first orders to appear in considerable numbers in 

 the early spring, and during the months of April and May many species occur which 

 are not to be found at any other time. A number of peculiar Mycetophilidae, 

 Chironoftiidae^ and Tipulidae are to be found, while the Bibiofiidae are especially 

 numerous during the first two weeks in May. Bibio albipennis, B. femorata, B. 

 pallipes and Dihphus breviceps are frequently taken as early as the middle of April. 

 The two sexes vary considerably and a comparative study of the spring and fall 

 species is desirable. 



In the Leptidae are many exceedingly interesting species, and the life history 

 of most of them can be very readily studied. Xylophagus lugens appears about the 

 middle of April, the larva can be found beneath the bark of decaying chestnut and 

 oak. The only New England record for X. abdominalis is of a specimen bred from a 

 larva found under bark by Mr. A. P. Morse, at Wellesley, Mass., April 15. X. 

 riifipes and X. longicornis are recorded from New England without date. Leptts 

 phimbeus should be found early in May about stumps and trees, followed a little 

 later by L. piinctipennis and L. mystacea. The species of Chrysophila rarely make 

 their appearance before the first of June. 



Many species of Stratiotnyidae are to be found during May, Actina viridis, 

 Microchrysa polita, and Sargus viridis, while Stratiomyia discalis, Odo?ito7nyia 

 interrupta and O. pubescens frequent the flowers of the Amelanchier canadensis and 

 Pyriis arhutifolia. Very few of the Asilidae make their appearance before June. 

 Nicocles politus Say, recorded from Mass., was taken by the writer Apr. 15, in 

 southern New Jersey, two or three species of Crytopogon are to be found in May, also 

 Daulopogon tetragrammus and D. terricola. The latter has been collected at 

 Chicopee, Mass., May 24. 



Some of the most interesting forms of spring flies belong to the genus 

 Bombylius. B . major is frequently found as early as the middle of April, and B. 

 pygmaeus and B. atriceps about the middle of May. B. pulchellus should also be 

 found in New England ; it is taken in the vicinity of New York city from May 10- 

 20. The Etnpidae, one of the families of smaller flies, contains a number of spe- 

 cies which are quite common throughout the month of May. 



In the family Syrphidae are many rare and interesting forms, which are only 



