50 MYCETOPHILID^. 



claspers, the 1st joint obtusely conical, the 2nd more or less 

 similar but more elongate, ending in a pair of short stout 

 black claws ; both joints with rather copious long hairs. A 

 small inner pair of appendages can also be seen. Legs slender 

 and long, the fore pair much shorter ; tibiae with minute spurs ; 

 tibial setae apparently wanting. Wings hairy or microscopically 

 setulose, large, broad, with a very broad base, usually longer than 

 the abdomen, half open when at rest. Costa produced nearly to 

 the tip of the wing; auxiliary vein short, ending at or before 

 one-third of the wing ; subcostal cross-vein absent.* The 1st 

 longitudinal vein long, ending about the middle of the wing ; 

 the 3rd strongly bisinuate, forked near the tip, the upper branch 

 short, placed usually at an angle of about 45° and joining the 

 •costa ; the 3rd vein coalesces with the 4th for some distance at 

 the point where the anterior cross-vein usually occurs, this latter 

 vein being absent, but in at least one species {M. elec/ans), the 

 contact is almost punctiform. The 4th longitudinal vein takes a 

 sudden and angular turn upwards just before coalescing with the 

 3rd and forks very soon beyond the coalescence, the prongs 

 slightly diverging. The 5th vein forks eai'ly and rather abruptly, 

 the upper branch turning downwards again at the point where it 

 coalesces punctiformly with tlie 4th longitudinal, the posterior 

 cross-vein thus being entirely absent. The 6th vein is com- 

 paratively close to and more or less parallel with the hinder 

 branch of the 5th, the anterior branch of which is generally rather 

 irregular in outline, though in its entirety forming a gentle curve. 

 The 7th vein incomplete, often indistinct. 



Range. Europe, the Orient, Australasia, North and South 

 America and the West Indies. 



Life-history. — Such of the European species as have been 

 studied, breed in the rotting stems of Carjnmis betulus, but one 

 species, 31. limhata, Winn., also from Europe, is said to breed in 

 Dcedalia quercina. The perfect insects exhibit a predilection for 

 nettles, but may occur in any shady, woody spots. 



Macroura, 33erendt, may be a misprint for Macrocera. Euphro- 

 syne, Mg. (1800), is not admissible. Macrocera is somewhat easily 

 recognized by its superior size, very long slender antennae, the 

 generally present conspicuous wing markings, and the coalesced 

 portions of the 3rd and 4th longitudinal veins. 



Table of Species. 



1. Wiug with distinct markings 2. 



Wing entirely devoid of markings 6. 



2. A very large dark brown round spot 



filling nearly all the apical half of the 



wing ornata, sp. n., p. 51. 



No such mark 3. 



* Johannsen (Gen. Ins.) says it is present, but I do not find it, and it is not 

 shown in that author's figure of the genus. 



