TIPULIDJE. 31 



harvest spiders. The English name of "crane-flies " is prefer- 

 able. Commonly they are harmless, but some of the species 

 in the larval state are very destructive, feeding upon the ten- 

 der rootlets of grass and grain, and causing the plants over 

 large surfaces to wither and die. There are about twelve 

 hundred species known. 



In this family are placed several wingless forms, or those 

 with the wings more or less rudimentary. One of the former 

 is Chionea, the species of which are found on snow, often in 

 the coldest weather. 



The family Tipulidse is easily divided into three subfamilies, 

 which I prefer to call the Ptychopterinae, Limnobiinse and 

 Tipulinse, and which correspond precisely with the Ptychop- 

 terina, Tipulidae longipalpi and Tipulidse brevipalpi of Osten 

 Sacken. 



TABLE OF GENERA. 



1. Seventh longitudinal vein present, that is there are two longitudinal 



veins between the fifth vein and the posterior margin of the wing. 2 



Seventh longitudinal vein absent; no distinct V-shaped suture on 



mesonotum. . .-'.'.'. . . PTYCHOPTERINAE. 



2. Last joint of the palpi shorter or not much longer than the two preced- 



ing together; the auxiliary vein usually ends in the costa and is 

 connected with the first longitudinal vein by a distinct cross-vein ; 

 antennae six to sixteen jointed. " , -.-. . . LIMNOBIIN^. 

 Last joint of the palpi whiplash-like, much longer than the three pre- 

 ceding together; antennae composed of not more than thirteen joints ; 

 the auxiliary vein ends in the first longitudinal vein by an abrupt 

 curvature at the tip, not connected with the first vein by a cross- 

 vein. . . . , . . . , . . TIPULIN.E. 



LIMXOBIIN^E. 



L Wingless, spider-like in appearance. . . . CHIONEA Dalman. 

 Winged. . . . . " . . . . . . . 2 



2. Antennae composed of apparently 28 joints, long; anal cell closed ; no 

 empodia or spurs (West Indies, South America). 



POLYMERA Wiedemann. 

 Antennae not apparently composed of more than 16 joints. . . 3 



