22 



phizoa also may have its "Nauplius " stage, and leave the egg- as a swim- 

 in iug branchiate animal. Whether this surmise be true or false, the study 

 of these larvpe leads irresistibly to the conclusion that Amj)hizoa and 

 Pelobius are related ancient tj^^es, isolated by the extinction of sur- 

 rounding forms and preserving synthetic resemblances to many exist- 

 ing families; the afiflnities of Amphizoa leaning towards the Carabidte 

 as those of Pelobius do towards the Dytiscidie. The larval charac- 

 teristics fully sustain the sound judgment of Dr. Horn in maintaining 

 for Amphizoa its position as the type of a distinct family. 



THE DIPTEROUS PARASITE OF MELANOPLUS DEVASTATOR IN 

 CALIFORNIA. 



By D. W. CoQi'iLLETT, Lo8 AiKjeles, Cal. 



On the 22d of October, 1891, in a locality 10 miles from Los Angeles, 

 while examining adult specimens of M elan oplus devastator, Scudder, in 

 quest of internal parasites, I found in one of them a dipterous larva 

 apparently nearly full grown. I then collected quite a large number 

 of these locusts and brought them home with me, and the next day five 

 larv;e issued from one of them and soon afterward pupated. The Hies 

 issued between the 10th and 13th of the following April. They belong 

 to the old genus Sarcojthaga, but I am unable to identify them with 

 any of the published descriptions, and in the belief that the species is 

 new, present the following description of it: 



Sarcophaga opifera n. sp. ^ .—Front silvery-white pollinose. at narrowest point 

 one-seventli widtli of head; frontal vitta brown, half as wide as front at narrowest 

 point ; the two posterior pairs of frontal liristles directed backward, the others decus- 

 sate, reaching first third of second autennal joint; no orbital bristles; antennje, 

 dark brown, reaching three-fourths the distance to the oral margin; third joint 

 scarcely longer than the second; arista black, two-jointed, basal joint as l)road as 

 long, the second joint thickened on its basal two-fifths, plumose on its basal two- 

 tbirds, bearing two long hairs on its lower side beyond the outermost one on its 

 Tipper side. Face silvery-white pollinose, but in certain lights showing a brassy 

 tinge ; sides of face witli a single row of Itristles near the eye, those on sides of central 

 depression ascending slightly above tip of autennse; cheeks one-third height of 

 eyes, densely bristly. Proboscis blackish, slightly shorter than height of head; 

 palpi yellow-brown. Thorax light gray, usiially marked with seven black stripes, 

 but some of these are occasionally wanting; three pairs of subdorsal bristles behind 

 the suture. Scutellam gray; a pair of small apical and a second pair of discal 

 bristles, also two lateral pairs of much larger bristles. Abdomen gray, not distinctly 

 checkered, marked with three black vittie; each segment, except in middle of the 

 dorsum of the first, with a marginal row of bristles; hind margin of the last segment 

 and the genitalia yellow brown. Legs grayish Idack. all femora and tibiic bristly; 

 posterior tibiie not bearded within; claws as long as the last tarsal joint. Tegula 

 whitish-hyaline. Wings grayish-hyaline, base of third vein bristly halfway to 

 small cross- vein; other veins bare, first posterior cell open, ending some distance be- 



