HELEOMYZID FLIES NORTH OF MEXICO—GILL 563 
I have examined the type (a female) of Blepharoptera discolor Loew 
in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University (Type 
13196). It is not a Neoleria, as was considered by Czerny. It may 
be the same species as Spanoparea walkeri Garrett; however, inasmuch 
as there are at least two species of Spanoparea in North America and 
because I cannot at present separate the females of any of the species 
within the genus, I cannot determine the correct status of B. discolor 
Loew. For the time being it seems best to transfer discolor Loew to 
Spanoparea. Future studies may reveal a means of distinguishing 
the females of Spanoparea, at which time discolor may either be 
placed as a senior synonym of another species or proved to be distinct. 
The type of S. discolor (Loew) has a cheek-eye ratio of about 0.43, 
which is greater than that observed in other specimens of North 
American Spanoparea. The general coloration may be slightly darker 
than in other specimens, although the entire series was not before me 
for comparison at one time. The mesonotum is grayish or tannish 
yellow and the abdomen is brownish black, with a slight pollinosity. 
The length of the specimen is about 4.5 mm. (The original descrip- 
tion says 5.0 mm.) 
DistrisuTion.—New Hampshire (no other data given). 
Spanoparea laffooni, new species 
Figure 60 
I found in the collection of Dr. Jean Laffoon a single male specimen 
which resembles Spanoparea walkeri Garrett in all respects, except 
that the terminalia are distinct. I have seen no variation or inter- 
gradation in the surstyli of S. walkeri Garrett which would cause me 
to suspect that this specimen is but a variant of that species. The 
posterior lobe (in the extended terminalia) of the surstyli in S. walkeri 
Garrett is bluntly rounded, whereas in S. laffooni, new species, this 
lobe tapers to a narrow projection. Otherwise, the characters are the 
same as those found in the description of the male of S. walkeri 
Garrett. The cheek-eye ratio is 0.29. 
I compared this specimen with the described European species of 
Spanoparea in order to establish its distinctness. An examination of 
the male terminalia is probably the most important criterion, and this 
was possible for S. ruficornis (Meigen) and S. variabilis (Loew), for 
specimens of both species are in the U.S. National Museum. The 
presence of two sternopleural bristles in S. limbinervis (Czerny) ap- 
parently eliminates that species from consideration. SS. obscuriwentris 
(Zetterstedt) is reported to have the cheeks one-fifth of the eye height, 
slightly narrower than in the North American specimens of Spano- 
parea. S. dudai Czerny has the thorax blue gray, with the dorso- 
central bristles arising from small black spots. 
