LTMNOBIA. 399 



inside, and it passed its transformations underground. Van Eoser 

 found the larva of L. annulus in decaying wood ; it resembled an 

 earthworm in size as well as colour, and lined its burrows with a 

 kind of silken web. 



The imagos occur almost anywhere, many species being found 

 occasionally in houses, though they prefer shaded spots in woods. 



Limnobia, as originally constituted by Meigen in 1818, included 

 all the LIM^OBIIX^;, with the exception of Erioptera, Anisomera, 

 Trichocera and Rhipidia. Macquart then reduced it to species 

 with four posterior cells. Stephens in 1829 cut off a number of 

 species which he formed into the genus Dicranomyia, although, 

 subsequently to the creation of this genus, Zetterstedt, Walker 

 and others still retained Limnobia in Meigen's wide acceptation. 

 Osten Sacken in 1859 restricted the genus to that section which 

 he afterwards designated the LIHNOBLN'A. In 1869, in his classic 

 monograph of the North American species, he admits Limnobia, 

 Dicranomyia, Geranomyia, Rhipidia and Trocliobola as good genera. 



Table of Species. 



1. Auxiliary vein ending opposite the origin 



of the 2nd longitudinal vein ; wing 



maculated festiva, sp. n., p, 400. 



Auxiliary vein ending distinctly beyond 

 the origin of the 2nd longitudinal 

 vein ; wing marked or clear 2. 



2. Wing with distinct spots in addition to 



the suffusion around the stigma .... 3. 

 Wing clear, or with at most the stigma 

 darkened 6. 



3. Posterior cross-vein before the inner 



side of the discal cell tinctinervis, sp. n., p. 401. 



Posterior cross-vein in a line with the 

 inner side of the discal cell or a little 

 more distal 4. 



4. Costa with three very distinct dark 



brown spots, the wing being also 

 otherwise marked, or at least the 



cross-veins suffused 5. 



Costa unspotted, the only wing-marks 

 being the stigma and one over the 

 base of the 2nd longitudinal vein .... indica, sp. n., p. 401. 



5. Yellow species; very distinct brown 



spots at base, at base of 2nd vein, at 

 tip of 1st vein, at tip of wing and tip 

 of 7th vein ; most of the veins slightly 



suffused .- trimaculata, sp. n., p. 402. 



Brown species; three dull but distinct 

 brown spots on costa, closer together ; 

 also at the base of the 2nd vein, tip 

 of auxiliary vein and tip of 1st vein ; 

 cross-veins lightly suffused longinervis, sp. n., p. 403. 



