549 



Family RHYPHIDJE. 



Flies of moderate size, or small, with an appearance partaking 

 of that of the TIPULID.E, as well as of the MYCETOPHILID^:. 

 Head hemispherical, eyes rounded, contiguous in male and wide 

 apart in female (in Wiyplms) ; in one genus * the frons is wide in 

 both the sexes. Ocelli present. Proboscis moderately prominent 

 (Khyplius) or hardly at all prominent (Olbiogaster) ; labella small. 

 Palpi 4-joiuted, rather long (lihyphus), or short (Olbiog aster). 

 Antennae about as long as the thorax, 16-joiuted, the two basal 

 joints differentiated; the flagellum in EJiyplms composed of com- 

 pact annular or cylindrical joints placed rather closely together, 

 whilst in Olbiogaster., a Mexican genus, the flagellar joints in the 

 male are filiform. Thorax without transverse suture, oval, arched ; 

 scutellum transverse, moderate in size ; metanotum well developed. 

 Abdomen flattened, cylindrical, seven-segmented ; genital organs 

 hardly prominent. Legs moderately long and slender; tibiae 

 without terminal spurs, or the hind pair sometimes with minute 

 ones; pulvilli absent, empodium pulvilliform. Wings compara- 

 tively large and broad, folded over the abdomen, when in repose ; 

 in most species they are faintly marmorated or marked with pale 

 grey and darker brown spots and short bands. Auxiliary vein 

 present ; 2nd longitudinal vein simple, discal cell always present ; 

 4th vein with both its upper and lower branches forked ; 5th, 6th 

 and 7th veins distinct, long, the latter moderately abbreviated. 



The family is represented in Europe, North and South America, 

 West Africa, the Orient, Tasmania and New Zealand. 



The BHYPHID.E, as compared with the other families of 

 NEMATOCEKA, except many TIPULID.E, are distinguished by the 

 presence of the discal cell in the wings ; the TIPULULE, in which 

 it is normally and generally present, being the only other family 

 in this suborder possessing it. In addition the present family 

 has a peculiar venation, which in some respects appears as if it 

 were related to that of the LEPTID^E, amongst the BRACHYCERA. 

 The resemblance is further heightened by an apparent affinity 

 between the antenna of Rliyplms and those of one or two genera 

 of LEPTID.E, Xylopliayus for example; but the student may at 

 once distinguish between the two by the shape of the anal cell, 

 which in RHYPHID.E is wider towards the posterior margin, whereas 

 in LEPTIDJ-; it is much narrowed distally or actually closed. 



* Olbiogaster, Os. Sac., a non-Oriental genus, to which is allied a very 

 similar one, Lobogaster ; these three genera comprising the whole of the 



