MYCETOPHILA. 9 



Fabr. Mycetopfiila]).,M.eig.i Mcq.; Curt.; Westw. Mycetopliila\>. 

 et Macquartia, Zett. I. L. 



Corpus ssepissime parvum, elongatum, pubescens, pallidum, fuscum, 

 aut nigricans. Caput parvum, rotundatum, subtransversum, sessile, 

 thorace humilius. Frons lata. Oculi ovati. Ocelli tres, quorum duo 

 laterales remoti, medius minimus. Proboscis brevis. Palpi 4-articu- 

 lati, incurvi, subfiliformes ; articulus primus minutus ; secundus, ter- 

 tius, et quartus subsequales. Antennae 16-articulatae, filiformes aut 

 subcylindricae, subcompressae, arcuatim porrectae, corporis dimidio 

 non longiores. Thorax ovatus, convexus. Metathorax declivis. 

 Alae mediocres, incumbentes ; venae subapicalis et subanalis saepis- 

 sime furcatae. Abdomen segmentis 7, plus minusve compressum. 

 Pedes mediocres ; coxae magnae ; femora compressa ; tibiae spinosae, 

 apice calcaratae ; tarsi longi, graciles. Mas. Abdomen subcylindricum, 

 apice obtusum. Fcem. Abdomen plus compressum, apice acutum. 

 Body more or less small, elongated, pubescent, testaceous, yellowish, 

 brown, or black. Head small, sessile, rounded, slightly transverse, 

 lower than the thorax. Front broad. Eyes oval. Ocelli 3, the mid- 

 dle one very minute, the lateral pair remote. Proboscis short. Palpi 

 four-jointed, curved downward, nearly filiform, having a considerable 

 difference in some species ; first joint minute, the rest nearly equal in 

 size. Antennae sixteen-jointed, filiform or nearly cylindrical, slightly 

 compressed, setaceous or conical, and thick in some species, curved and 

 porrect, not more than half the length of the body. Thorax oval, con- 

 vex. Metathorax sloping. Wings of moderate length and breadth, 

 incumbent, hyaline, occasionally spotted ; radial vein straight, ending 

 at before three-fourths of the length ; cubital emitting the subapical at 

 a little beyond the middle of the wing, near which it forms an angle at 

 its junction with the praebrachial. transverse, and is thence straight to 

 the end, which is a little in front of the tip of the wing ; the prsebra- 

 chial transverse vein, and the radial before its junction therewith, close 

 the praBbrachial areolet, and are termed its veinlets in the following 

 specific descriptions ; subapical forked, fore fork ending at very little 

 behind the tip of the wing ; subanal generally forked, ending at about 

 three-fourths of the length ; anal varying as to length ; humeral vein- 

 let near the base; areolets generally 10 the humeral, the radial, the 

 subcostal, the praebrachial, the pobrachial, the cubital, the subapical, 

 one externo-medial, the anal, and the axillary ; posterior margin form- 

 ing a very obtuse angle at full twice the length of the humeral areolet 

 from the base. Halteres distinct, rather short. Abdomen with seven 

 segments, more or less compressed. Legs of moderate length ; coxae 

 long ; femora compressed ; four hinder tibiae spinose, with two spurs 

 at the tips ; fore tibiae hardly spinose, with one spur at the tips ; tarsi 

 long, slender. Male. Abdomen nearly cylindrical ; tip obtuse. Fern. 

 Abdomen more compressed ; tip acute. 



The species of all the Mycetophilida are most distinguished by 

 VOL. iv. c 



