] 20 MYCETOPHILID JE. 



Jn the venation, the humeral cross-vein is present, the subcostal 

 and posterior cross-veins are absent ; the 1st and 3rd longitudinal 

 veins (simple), the 4th and 5th (both forked) and 6th (short), are 

 present. 



Genus SCIARA, Mg. (PI. II, figs. 15, 16, 17.) 



Sciara, Meigen, Illig. Mag. ii, p. 263 (1803). 

 Molobrus, Latreille, Hist. Nat. Crust. Ins. xiv, p. 288 (1805). 

 Planetes, Walker, Ent. Month. Mag. iii, p. 178 (1836). 

 Planatella, Westwood, Synops. gen. Brit. Ins. p. 126 (1840). 



Head rounded, proboscis barely prominent ; eyes reniform ; 

 three ocelli, the middle one smaller than the others. Palpi two- 

 or three-jointed, incurved, the last three joints subequal. Antennae 

 16-jointed, projecting forwards, curved, longer in male than female, 

 cylindrical ; scapal joints differentiated, bare, flagellar joints not 

 narrowed at base. Thorax arched, bare or practically so, but a 

 fe\v definite rows of stiff hairs in some of the species ; scutellum, 

 small, with or without stiff hairs on the posterior margin. Abdo- 

 men 7-segmented, subcylindrical in male, conical or sub-conical in 

 female, nearly or wholly bare. Grenitalia of male prominent, 

 apparently tolerably uniform in structure ; in such species as I 

 have been able to examine satisfactorily they consist of a pair of 

 large, two-jointed, hairy claspers, attached to a very broad basal 

 piece, the first joint being much thicker and larger than the 2nd, 

 which is elongate or oval ; there is also a small apparently bilobed 

 intermediate organ. In the female the ovipositor is simple and 

 small. Legs moderately long and slender, coxae lengthened some- 

 what but not enlarged ; femora flattened somewhat on the inner 

 side ; tibiae with small apical spurs. Wings oval, moderately or 

 comparatively broad ; in repose folded over the abdomen. Aux- 

 iliary vein short, ending free ; 1st longitudinal moderately long, 

 ending some little distance before or beyond middle of wing ; 3rd 

 vein beginning at a right angle before middle of wing, rectangular 

 at the bend and thence gently curved to some distance before 

 the wing-tip ; 4th longitudinal vein forked about its middle, but 

 varying greatly, the branches parallel or divergent according to the 

 species ; 5th longitudinal forked widely at base, the two branches 

 sometimes separated there ; 6th vein short ; 7th absent ; anterior 

 cross-vein verv oblique, placed in a direct line with the main course 

 of the 3rd vein and appearing as the basal portion of that vein, 

 whilst the erect rectangular basal portion of the 3rd vein appears 

 to be the cross-vein. Anal lobe of wing fairly full. 



Range. World-wide. 



Life-history. The metamorphoses of several species are known, 

 and the usual habitat of the larva appears to be decomposing 

 leaves, some species having been bred from apples, potatoes and 

 other vegetables ; a few live in cow-dung and a few under the 

 bark of trees. These hatch out in eight or ten days according 

 to Heeser. 



