FAM. EMPIDID/E 181 
Melander, Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc. Vol. 28, p. 350 (1902); Coquillett, Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash. 
Vol. 5, p. 253 (1903); Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. Vol. 37, p. 566 (1910). 
Pararhamphomyia, Frev, Notule Ent. Vol. 2, p. 3, 33 (1922). 
Platyptera, Meigen-Coquillett, Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash. Vol. 5, p. 256 (1903); Proc, U. S. Nat. Mus. 
Vol. 37, p. 592 (1910). 
Characters. — Usually rather slender insects measuring from three to nine millimeters, 
of dark often shining coloration, though sometimes yellow. | Head globular, occiput hairy; eyes 
of the male usually contiguous or subcontiguous, if separated the front of the male is narrower 
than that of the female, when dichoptic the facets are uniform, when holoptic the upper facets 
are somewhat larger, eyes of the female always separated and with uniform facets ; face quadrate or 
narrow, cheeks linear; antenna inserted near the middle of the head, projecting horizontally about as 
much as the head-height, distinctly three-jointed, the first joint usually cylindrical and a little longer 
than the globose second joint, both more or less hairy, the third joint elongate conical, tipped by a two- 
segmented style, whose distal part is longer than the basal and tapers; proboscis ranging from as long 
as the head to twice as long, depending vertically or folded somewhat backward, palpi cylindrical 
upturned, hairy. "Thorax often a little arched, metathorax small, notal bristles very variable, as in Emfis, 
metapleure always more or less setose. Abdomen usually compressed, pygidium often large and 
elaborate, generally compressed and erect with slender central filament and broad lateral and dorsal 
valves, sometimes the pygidium is closed. Legs provided with hairs and bristles, sometimes the femora 
and tibiae of the female pennate, sometimes the knees of the male armed. — Wings of the female often 
darker and sometimes broader than of the male, costa stopping at the tip of the wing, auxiliary vein 
straight and interrupted at the end, third vein always simple, discal cell complete, except that rarely the 
posterior crossvein is lacking, in some species the discal cell varies with the sex, being extraordinarily 
large in the female, anal cell short, the crossvein strongly reflexed, anal vein discontinuous with the anal 
cell, analangle of the wing large, but variable in size. axillar incision distinct, alula small or wanting, 
calypteres with a dense fringe. 
Rhamfhomyia is probably one of the most recent of the genera of Empididae, just as it is the 
most plastic and in alpine regions the dominant genus. With four hundred species described it has 
become one of the largest of genera and thus it is desirable that the well known and universally 
accepted name be maintained and that attempts to seek out and establish prior names be discouraged. 
In the interest of continuity I have accepted as the type species of Rhamfhomyia, sulcata Meigen, the 
species selected by Curtis in 1834. 
When Coquillett attempted to fix the nomenclature of the Empidida in 1903 he resurrected Wie- 
demann's name Macrostomus for this genus. Seven years later, in his type species paper of 1910, he made 
platyptera the tautonymic type of Platyptera Meigen. 1803, and since this is supposed to be the same as 
Dionnea Meigen, 1800, he would change the host of species known as Rhamphomyia from Macrostomus to 
Dionunea, spp. I have here, following Curtis, adopted borealis as the type of Platyptera, thus placing it 
and the questionable Dionnuea in the synonymy under Emfis. Until the Fabrician species Hybos ferrugineus, 
on which Wiedemann founded his genus Macrostomus, is rediscovered the name Macrostomus may well 
be kept in abeyance. 
'The species of Rhamphomyia are essentially boreal and seem to be unlimited in their number. 
Often a species is unusually common for a few days to disappear until the next year. Some species 
swarm in the open in an aerial dance; these are usually the species of summer or autumn, Others, 
especially the vernal forms, frequent the deep shade of woods, and may be found about herbage or 
lazily flying here and there. The genus is unusually plastic in characters, and hence a vast number 
