Diptera (il < 



Phaonia Robineau-Desvoidy. 



The larvae of this genus are very little known. The species thai have been 

 reared are scavengers in the larval stages, feeding in decaying vegetable matter. 



There are several specimens in the collection that are referable to 1 his genus, 

 accepting as the criterion the character furnished by the bristling of the hind 

 tibia. 



Phaonia minima, n. sp. 



Male. — Black, shining. Thorax in type so badly crushed thai it is impos- 

 sible to say whether or not it is vittate,. Abdomen with slight pruinescence 

 and a dark central longitudinal stripe. Legs black. Squamae and halteres 

 yellow. Wings yellowish brown on anterior half. 



Eyes bare, narrowly separated above, interfrontalia linear on upper half. 

 not wider than orbit; antennae short, third joint not twice as long as second; 

 arista microscopically pubescent on basal half; cheeks high, but the head is in 

 such poor condition that their armature and comparative height can not be 

 definitely ascertained; palpi broader than normal. Presutural acrostichals 

 strong, with one to two series of shorter hairs between the. series; postsutural 

 dorso-centrals four; prealar bristle very small; hypopleura and pteropleura 

 bare. Abdomen narrow, subcylindrical; hypopygium small, fifth ventral 

 sclerite with a rounded excavation, the lateral extensions small, glossy at apex. 

 Legs rather slender, the tarsi noticeably so, and especially the basal joint of 

 fore pair; fore tibia without bristles; mid tibia with one bristle near apex on 

 posterior surface; hind femora slightly curved, thickened apically. the apical 

 third on antero- and postero-ventral surface with a graduated series of long 

 bristles; hind tibia with two antero-ventral, one antero-dorsal, and one long 

 postero-clorsal bristle. Costal thorn small; outer cross-vein straight; last 

 section of fourth vein barely twice as long as preceding section. 



Female. — Colour as in the male except that the wings and calyptrae are 

 more conspicuously yellowish. 



Eyes more than one-third the head-width, orbits shining, each one-fourth 

 the width of inter-frontalia, orbital bristles normal, rather weak above, strong 

 below; antennae as in male; cheeks one-fourth as high as eye, invaded on lower 

 half by the bristles of margin, those on margin of moderate length, vibrissa 1 

 well differentiated, one strong bristle below vibrissa. Thorax as in male. Legs 

 similar to those of male but the tarsi stouter, the hind femora less distinctly 

 swollen apically, and with fewer bristles. 



Length, 4-5 mm. 



Type Locality: Nome, Alaska, August 21, 24, and 25, 1916 (F. Johansen). 



This species is the smallest known to me. 



Phaonia imitatrix, n. sp. 



Male. — Black, distinctly shining, thorax and abdomen unmarked. Frontal 

 and facial orbits with dense, silvery pile; cheeks and face very slightly pilose; 

 inter-frontalia opaque black. "Wings slightly fuscous, noticeably so at base. 

 Squamae white. Halteres black. 



Eyes hairy, separated by about one-sixth the head-width, orbit about one- 

 third as wide as interfrontalia, bristles strong, with the exception of the upper 

 backwardly directed one, directed inward: antennae short, not extending below- 

 lowest fourth of face, third joint 1-5 as long as second; arista subnude, with an 

 elongate tapered swelling at base; orbits in profile projecting beyond eye as 

 far as width of third antennal joint: cheek as high as one-third the eye-height, 

 protruding at anterior angle further than frons at base of antennae, marginal 

 bristles numerous, of average strength, a few weak hairs above margin; palpi 



