76 Psyche [June 



Microdon megalogaster Snow. 

 One specimen of this species was collected by the writer at Darien, 

 Conn., June 12, and four specimens at Great Barrington, Mass., 

 June 16; the latter were captured on or flying around an ant hill. 



Sphaerophoria. 

 The variations in the species of this genus are very difficult to 

 define, while the great difference in the sexes also adds to the con- 

 fusion. In the eastern United States and Canada there are ap- 

 parently four species, which may be briefly tabulated as follows: 



Table of Species. 



1. Lateral thoracic stripe ending at the suture 2 



Lateral thoracic stripe continuous 3 



2. Face entirely yellow, abdominal bands beyond the second seg- 



ment present in the female, usually obsolete or wanting in 



the male, length 8 mm cylindrica Say. 



Face with a wide black stripe, abdominal bands similar in both 

 sexes, length 8 mm novocanglia' sp. nov. 



3. Abdomen in the male with a series of yellow spots, in the female 



with widely interrupted bands narrowly connected with 



the lateral margin, length 8 mm strigata Staeg. 



Abdomen with bands on the first four segments, the others ir- 

 regularly marked with black, length 8-10 mm., script a Linn. 



Sphaerophoria novaeangliae sj). nov. 



S. cylindrica var. {d) Williston, Synopsis N. Amer. Syrphidae, 

 p. 105, 1886. 



cT". Face and front pale yellow, a broad stripe extending from 

 the mouth to the base of the antennae, a small spot above the base 

 of the antennae and the vertex black, basal two-thirds of the pro- 

 boscis black, the rest brown, antennae yellow, upper edge of the 

 third joint and arista brown. Thorax dark greenish black, shiny, 

 the yellow lateral stripe extending only to the suture, pleura black, 

 a small spot above the front and middle coxae and a large spot in 

 front and behind the base of the wing and the scutellum pale yellow, 

 hairs of the latter black. Abdomen black, the broad yellow band 

 on the second segment slightly wider at the middle becoming 

 gradually narrower towards the lateral margins, band on the third 

 segment double the width in the middle as at the lateral margins. 



