100 Prof. F. Dahl on Puliclphora. 



muscles of flight must also be absent or rudimentary. The 

 eyes, which in the case of Phora (wlien the head is regarded 

 from the side) occupy nearly half of the cephalic surface, here 

 cover barely a third of it in the case of the female, and in 

 tlie male are still further reduced. Tlie male genital organs 

 also show divergence; tliey protrude to a far less extent. As 

 in Phora, the dorsal side of tlie abdomen is overlaid with 

 shining dark-coloured chitinous plates, corresponding with 

 the number of tlie segments. The female possesses five and 

 the male six of these dorsal plates, besides which the male 

 has a similar plate on the ventral side in front of the genital 

 organs. 



The only wingless genus of Phoridae hitherto described is 

 uiEnifpnatias, of Meinert (Entomol. Meddelelser, Bd. ii. 

 p. 212, 1890). In bodily form this genus differs from Puli- 

 ciphora just as greatly as from the winged Phoridte. The 

 body is like that of a cockroach in shape, without incisions 

 between head, thorax, and abdomen, and the thoracic rings, 

 wliich, when viewed from above, are indistingaisliable from 

 the abdominal ones, are broader than the head. In Puh'ci- 

 jjhora, just as in the winged Pliorida3, the narrower thorax is 

 separated from the head and abdomen by deep incisions. The 

 arista, too, which in j^nigmatias is bare, is here, as in Pliora^ 

 pubescent. The first joint of the tarsus of the hind legs is, 

 as in Phora, provided with a brush consisting of several 

 rows of sotffi. While JEnigmatias, which is an inquiline 

 form found in ants' nests, appears to constitute a transition 

 towards the bee-parasite Braula, and lias nothing in common 

 with the Pulicidfe, Puliciphora itself exhibits distinct affinity 

 to the fleas. 



In colour PuUcijyhora lucifera is brownish yellow, on tlie 

 upper side almost blackish brown. The size of the female 

 varies between f and 1\ millim. ; the male is smaller and 

 only about 5 millim. in length. 



On showing the new form to Privy Councillor Mobius, 

 this gentleman drew my attention to the fact that a similar 

 insect had been discovered in Africa by Mr. Cook, of Wash- 

 ington, U.S.A. ; Herr ]\Jobius informed me that the aftinities 

 of the insect in question had still to be elucidated by 

 Dr. Wandolleck ; all that was certain was that it must belong 

 to the Diptera. We thereupon compared the two forms : 

 they proved to be closely allied, but must nevertheless be 

 assigned to different genera. 



Now, since I was not only myself the discoverer of the 

 form before me, but also recognized with certainty its affinity 

 to the Phoridse — a thing which, as he himself told me, would 



