April, 'o6] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. I23 



The Dipterous Genus Calotarsa, with one new Species. 

 By J. M. Aldrich. 



(Plate IV) 



The discovery of a new species of this charming little group 

 makes it worth while to give a brief review of the genus. 



Townsend, in 1894 (Canadian Entomologist, XXVI, 50-52, 

 figs.), described the genus and its typical species, Calotarsa 

 omatipes, from a single male specimen collected at Cham- 

 paign, 111. He referred the genus to the family Syrphidae, 

 in which he acknowledged that it would occupy a very anoma- 

 lous position. The error of overlooking the family Platype- 

 zidae was corrected by Banks in the next number of the jour- 

 nal (p. 88); he expressed the opinion that Calotarsa was a 

 synonym of Platypeza, and reported another male specimen in 

 his collection, taken at Ithaca, N. Y. In the following num- 

 ber of the journal, Townsend admitted the relationship of the 

 genus to the Platypezidae, but contended that it was not 

 synonymous with Platypeza (p. 102). Williston in the same 

 number (p. 116) mentioned the genus as probably synony- 

 mous with Platypeza. 



Late in 1894, W. A. Snow published in the Kansas Univer- 

 sity Quarterly (III, 143-152, 1 pi.), a revision of the North 

 American Platypezidae, with several new species ; a supple- 

 ment to the paper was added in the same publication in Jan- 

 uary, 1895 (III, 205-207). He did not accept Calotarsa , 

 referring omatipes to Platypeza ; he described another species 

 with greatly ornamented hind feet, under the name of Platy- 

 peza calceata. Of this he had seventy-five males and one 

 female, collected in Hop Canyon, Magdalena Mts., N. M., on 

 August 19-21, 1894. He also reported another specimen of 

 omatipes, sent him by me, and collected by me on a window 

 at Brookings, S. D. No other species with ornamented hind 

 tarsi have been known up to the present, nor have any other 

 specimens of the two described species come to light, as far as 

 I know. 



In my catalogue of North American Diptera, I recognized 

 Calotarsa as a distinct genus, mentioning that I did so on Mr. 

 Kahl's recommendation. 



