4:32 DESCRIPTION OF TWO NEW 



Description of a New Genus and Species of Phoridoe 

 parasitic on Ants. By Gr. H. VERRALL,Esq., Memb. 

 Entom. Soc. 



SIR JOHN LUBBOCK has kindly forwarded for my exa- 

 mination and determination certain specimens of dip- 

 terous insects said to have been found parasitic on species 

 of ants, which latter he has been studying with care as 

 to their habits. Having given considerable attention to 

 the family Phoridae, I was agreeably surprised to find 

 the parasitic specimens to be forms new to science. 

 One of these is a new species of the genus Phora ; the 

 other I regard as possessing characters sui generis, and 

 hence define it under the generic title Platyphora, at 

 the same time bestowing on the species the name of 

 the discoverer, who worthily pursues entomological re- 

 searches, spite of many pressing public engagements. 



The subjoined descriptions embrace the diagnostic 

 peculiarities of the insects in question. 



PHORA FORMICARUM, n. sp. Nigro-cinerea, fronte 

 setosa, caniculata ; an tennis mediocribus, cinereis ; palpis 

 magnis, flavis ; halteribus flavidis ; pedibus totis pallide 

 flavis, inermibus, tibiis intermediis unicalcaratis, posticis 

 modice dilatatis ; alis subhyalinis, nervo secundo sim- 

 plici, nervulis vix undulatis. Long, vix lin. 



Frons broad, grey, bristly, two large bristles being 

 close to the eye-margin ; down the centre is a deep 

 impressed channel, which at its lower end joins a 

 channel above the antennae, and at its upper end a 

 channel round the raised vertical triangle ; the space 

 between these two latter channels (comprising the true 

 frons) is about once and a half broader than deep ; 

 on the vertical triangle are two bristles ; the third 

 joint of the antennas is moderately large, ovate, grey ; 

 the arista short, somewhat yellowish, almost naked ; 

 the palpi conspicuous, all pale yellow, with a few short 



