13 
flowers of wild parsnip early in July. The greatest number of specimens 
of both species occurs in May, June, and the first half of July, but a few 
specimens occur much later every year. 
I have before me several male specimens that do not exceed 6 mm. 
in length. These I thought at first represented a distinct species, but I 
consider it more probable that they are specimens which have been 
dwarfed through lack of food—a not uncommon occurrence among 
predaceous and parasitic species. To the food-habits of the species is 
also due no doubt some measure of the variability of punctuation and 
striation of the various parts of the body, just as in some Tachinidae 
the number of macrochaetae may vary considerably in large and small 
individuals of the same species, the difference in size being governed 
largely by the conditions under which the larval stages were passed. 
TIPHIA ODONTOGASTER Viereck 
The male of this species differs from that of any other described 
species in having a sharp tooth-like tubercle on each side near posterior 
margin of ventral abdominal segments 3, 4, and 5. From tuberculata it 
differs in having the mesopleura with very large deep punctures and 
no interspersed minute punctures, the clypeus with a broad impunctate 
margin on central portion and the lateral angles of this portion reflexed, 
and the fore tibiae are black and much more slender, the apical dorsal 
abdominal segment is very coarsely punctured throughout, and the apical 
ventral segment has its postero-lateral outline deeply emarginate near 
apex so that the central protruded portion is nearly parallel-sided. 
The female, hitherto unknown, may be described as follows: 
Glossy black, antennae brownish below, wings faintly yellowish. 
Clypeus flat, central portion at apex hardly wider than socket of 
one antenna, punctures rather large and deep, impunctate margin moder- 
ately broad; apical antennal joint twice as long as subapical; facial 
punctures subcontiguous below, becoming more widely separated above; 
cheek glossy, punctures large and subequal, minute interspersed punc- 
tures present only near posterior margin. Disc of pronotum with large 
punctures; metathoracic enclosure with slender boundary and central 
ridges, surface of enclosure and of lateral areas of metathorax with 
very shallow pits or punctures; posterior surface of metathorax with 
very minute and larger, setigerous, punctures; mesopleura glossy, with 
large deep punctures. Basal abdominal segment short and broad; sub- 
apical depression poorly defined, centrally with 2-3 series of small 
punctures; pygidium punctate on basal half, rather coarsely shagreened 
and opaque on apical. half; hairs on apical half of abdomen long and 
rather coarse. 
Originally described by Viereck from a male collected at Beulah, 
N. M. The specimens before me, 1 male and 3 females, are from the 
collection of Nathan Banks and were taken at Palmerlee, Ariz., in 
September and October. 
