DIPTERA OF BAJA CALIFORNIA. 6oi 



small and spinose, hypopygium small. Legs chestnut 

 brown, with black hair and black macrochjet^, the hind 

 tibiae conspicuously yellowish with yellow hair, the hind 

 tarsi pale brownish. Pulvilli broadly yellowish on bor- 

 ders. Wings subhyaline, very evenly tmged with smoky. 



APIOCERID.-E. 



The collection contains no less than twenty specimens 

 of Rhaphiomidas ! Baja California seems to be the home 

 of this remarkable genus, especially the Cape Region of 

 the peninsula. Four species are represented in the ma- 

 terial, of which I describe two as new. In a third I rec- 

 ognize episcopus of Osten Sacken (but not of Coquillett). 

 The fourth is acton Coqll. The following table will serve 

 to separate these four species : 



Table of Species of Rhaphiomidas. 



1. Abdomen wholly black; wings with a smoky tinge, antenna^ blackish. 



episcopus O. S. (nou Coqll.) 

 Abdomen not entirely black; wings hyaline, antennas yellowish or red- 

 dish at least on third joint. 2 



2. Abdomen almost wholly yellow. xanthoH u. sp. 

 None of the abdominal segments entirely yellow, the second to fourth 



each partly j'ellow and partly blackish. .3 



.3. Ground color of abdomen yellowish, only the front border and a me- 

 dian spot on second to fourth segments blackish; bristles of legs 

 and scutellum yellowish. acton Coqll. 



Ground color blackish, only the hind border of second to fourth seg- 

 ments yellowish; bristles of hind border of scutellum and of mid- 

 dle and hind legs blackish. melUfex n. sp. 



These forms are of much interest in view of the long 

 disputed question as to the systematic position of Apio- 

 cera and the aUied genera, and as to whether the group 

 should be given family rank. I have examined none of 

 the genera other than Rhaphiomidas, but I can give my 

 opinion upon the latter. After an examination of this 

 material and a study of Dr. Williston's able resume and 

 discussion of the subject, including his investigations of 



