PARYDROPTERA DISCOMYZINA AND PHILYGRIA SEMIALATA. O 



The next species is remarkable in possessing abbreviated and 

 narrow wings, but clearly belongs to the genus Philygria. I am 

 indebted to Mr. J. Collins, of the Oxford University Museum, for 

 the privilege of being able to examine and describe this species ; 

 he caught six specimens close to some sand-martins' burrows in 

 a gravel-pit at Cumnor (Berks) on July 22nd, 1910. 



Philygria semialata, n. sp. 



$ 2 • A small brownish species resembling P. picta, but with 

 narrow and abbreviated wings. 



Head both in shape and colour much resembling that of picta, 

 except that the whitish grey eye margins of the frons are not so 

 distinct ; the third antennal joint is yellowish beneath and the arista 

 pectinate above, almost exactly as in picta. 



The dark brownish thorax has faint indications of the two whitish 

 grey stripes of picta, and the lower part of pleurae is distinctly grey, 

 but the scutellum is the same colour as disc of thorax, though when 

 viewed from behind there is a grey patch on each side beneath the 

 basal bristle. Chaetotaxy as in picta, and differing from the rest of 

 genus in having only two pairs of dorsocentral, and no acrostichal 

 bristles. 



Abdomen dull about base, more shining towards tip, but nowhere 

 so brilliantly shining as in picta. 



Legs dark yellow, with the knees, tips of tarsi, and end of front 

 tibiae brownish, sometimes the front femora brownish above. 



Wings (figs. 4 and 5) short, narrow, and curved, I believe always 

 shorter and narrower in female than in male ; venation somewhat 

 variable, the postical vein sometimes rudimentary or continued half- 

 way to wing margin (female), sometimes complete, and the postical 

 cross- vein present (male). Halteres whitish yellow. 



Length, 1-1-25 mm. 



The shape of the head, the slightly pubescent eyes, and its 

 chaetotaxy prove that this species must be placed in the same 

 genus as P. picta, which I am inclined to think should be generi- 

 cally separated from Philygria. 



Dr. Kertesz, in 1910 (' Eovartani Lapok.' xvii. p. 182), has 

 described a Hungarian species (P. mocsaryi), which also has 

 abbreviated wings, but which evidently belongs to the other 

 group of the genus having three pairs of dorsocentral and uni- 

 serial acrostichal bristles on the thorax ; other differences exist 

 in the dark antennae, legs, and halteres, and in the maculated 

 wings. It was found in heaps of stones near the snow at an 

 altitude of 2000 m. 



Explanation of Plate II. 

 Fig. 1. — Wing of Parydroptera discomyzina, J , x 30. 

 Fig. 2.— Head of „ „ „ x 48. 



Fig. 3. — Profile of head of P. discomyzina ,, x 48. 

 Fig. 4. — "Wing of Philygria semialata, J, x 40. 

 Fig. 5.— „ „ „ $, x 40. 



