914 CHARLES PAUL ALEXANDER 



Molophilus ursinus (0. S.) 



1859 Erioptera ursina 0. S. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., p. 228. 



Molophilus ursinus is probably the smallest crane-fly in North America. 

 The following notes on the swarming were made along Power House 

 Creek, Gloversville, New York, on June 27, 1915: 



This species occurred in small dancing swarms over the little lateral streamlets that poured 

 down the steep slope, some of the swarms including scores of individuals. When not swarm- 

 ing, they rested flat on the upper surfaces of leaves, their wings folded over the abdomen. 

 Crane-flies associated with this species today included the following: BittacomorpheUa 

 jonesi, Limnophila toxoneura, L. areolata, L. (Lasiomastix) tenuicornis, Liogma nodicornis, 

 Dolichopeza americana, Tipula collaris, T. nobilis, T. iroquois, T. hermannia, T. macrolabis, 

 T. submaculata, T. fuliginosa, Nephrotoma macrocera, N. tennis, Longurio testaceus, and others. 



Genus Erioptera Meigen (Gr. wool + wing) 



1800 Polymeda Meig. Nouv. Class. Mouch., p. 14 (nomen nudum). 



1803 Erioptera Meig. Illiger's Mag., vol. 2, p. 262. 



1818 Polyraphla Meig. Syst. Beschr. Zweifl. Ins., vol. 1, p. 88. 



1854 Octavia Bigot. Ann. Soc. Ent. France, p. 474. 



1856 Chemalida Rond. Dipt. Ital. Prodr., vol. 1, p. 180. 



1856 Limnaea Rond. Dipt. Ital. Prodr., vol. 1, p. 181. 



1856 Ilisia Rond. Dipt. Ital. Prodr., vol. 1, p. 182. r 



1861 Limnoica Rond. Dipt. Ital. Prodr., Corrigenda, vol. 4, p. 11. 



1863 Trichosticha Schin. Wien. Ent. Monatschr., vol. 7," p. 221. 



1864 Platytoma Lioy. Atti dell' Institut Veneto, ser. 3, vol. 10, p. 42. 



Larva. Form elongate, in some cases very slender, terete. Spiracular disk tending to 

 be reduced, in some species (as E. chlorophylla) very small. Anal gills blunt. Head capsule 

 slender, consisting of six bars, four dorsal and two ventral; ventral bars in some species 

 (as E. chlorophy lla) , at least, with five to eight teeth at their expanded anterior end, forming 

 the mental plates. Labrum narrow, densely hairy. Mandible small, bluntly toothed. 

 Maxilla blunt, hairy. Hypopharynx cushion-like. 



Pupa.- Cephalic crest consisting of blunt or acute (in E. chlorophylla and E. vespertina) 

 lobes. Pronotal breathing horns elongate, the length many times the diameter, usually 

 straight and slightly divergent (E. megopkthalma, E. septemtrionis) , or acutely pointed and 

 directed forward (E. chlorophylla). Mesonotal declivity along crest with very numerous 

 setiferous tubercles or (in the European E. lutea) with four prominent teeth. Leg sheaths 

 moderately long, reaching fourth abdominal segment; middle tarsi conspicuously shorter 

 than the others. Subapical armature of abdominal segments strong on sternites and tergites 

 but lacking on pleurites. Spiracles distinct, tubular. Lobes on dorsum of eighth abdominal 

 segment not forming a distinct pentagon. 



Erioptera is a large genus of small flies, including more than one hundred 

 described species, chiefly from the temperate regions. In the case of 

 all species of which the immature stages are known, these stages are spent 

 in wet earth. In Europe, Erioptera (Acyphona) maculata (Beling, 1879: 



