HELEOMYZID FLIES NORTH OF MEXICO—GILL 525 
vitta and 2 lateral vittae on mesonotum; scutellum with several setae 
on sides of dorsum, in addition to the 2 pairs of lateral bristles; 
prescutellar bristles not much stronger than the mesonotal setae; 
propleural bristle present, but weak; one sternopleural bristle with 
1 or 2 setae anterior to it and longer hairs between the coxae. 
Legs yellow to brownish yellow; middle femur with rows of spines 
or bristles anteriorly; dorsal preapical bristle present on middle tibia 
and in addition a second bristle in a posterodorsal position; middle 
tibia with several ventral apical bristles; femora of male not con- 
spicuously thickened. 
Wings hyaline, tinged with brown; anterior crossvein slightly 
before middle of discal cell. 
The male terminalia of this species resemble those of E. erypta, new 
species, very closely, but other characters will readily separate the two 
species. 
A series of specimens from Ames, Iowa (in the collection of Iowa 
State College), appears to be EL. simplex Coquillett, but the general 
body coloration is rather dark brown, as compared with the more 
yellowed appearance of other specimens. In this series the cheek- 
eye ratio ranges from 1.3 to 1.4, a greater ratio than in most of 
the western forms. The anterior fronto-orbital bristle may also be 
somewhat stronger. Further collecting and analysis of data may 
show that these darker specimens should be considered either a new 
species or subspecies. 
LenerH.—3.5-5.5 mm. 
DistriBpuTion.—British Columbia, Alberta, Washington, Oregon, 
California, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, 
Minnesota, Iowa; June—October. 
Brotocgy.—Specimens have been collected in light traps and from 
the nest of Thomomys. In Colorado, specimens were taken at an al- 
titude of 12,000 feet. These data are taken from labels on specimens 
in the collections of the University of Minnesota and the American 
Museum of National History. 
Remarks.—The series of syntypes of Eccoptomera americana Dar- 
lington in the U.S. National Museum actually contains two species, 
one of which is synonymous with EH. simplex Coquillett and the other 
of which is the same as E. crypta (described below). After examining 
these syntypes, I was tempted to choose one of the specimens other 
than E. simplex Coquillett as a lectotype, and thus resurrect the 
name EH. americana Darlington for the other species. After I studied 
the original description of 7. americana Darlington, however, it was 
clear that the description pertains to the form resembling E. simplex 
Coquillett. Furthermore, Aldrich (1910) interpreted EH. americana 
Darlington as being synonymous with EH. simplex Cogquillett. To 
