Vol. XXX] ENTO^rOLOGICAL NEWS. 1 37 



Tabanidae are numerous and where species occur, the larvae 

 of which are not known at all, will utilize their opportunity 

 tor the sake of entomological science, and kindly send such 

 material to the specialist. The systematic study of the larvae 

 of Tabanidae is not only of direct interest for the classification 

 of the flies of this family, but is also of great importance for 

 our understanding of Dipterous larvae in general and of their 

 phylogeny. 



A few words might be added with reference to the pupae. 

 The Tabanid larvae pupate in their normal habitat, in wet soil, 

 near the surface, and the pupae are not infrequently found in 

 the straiher, though, owing to the shortness of the pupal period 

 as compared with the larval stages, they are not nearly so 

 commonly found as the larvae. The small pupae of Chrysops 

 are about lo mm. long and brownish or grayish yellow in color. 

 The Tabanus pupae may be much larger, and of grayish, 

 greenish or fuscous coloration. The pupae of both genera look 

 much like Lepidopterous pupae, having, however, the abdom- 

 inal segments bordered with narrow fringes o! spiny bristles; 

 by means of these fringes the pupae work their way to the 

 surface when the water rises, and when the fly is about to 

 hatch. If placed on moist, but not too wet, ground the pupae 

 will usually hatch within less than two weeks. The pupal 

 shells should be carefully preserved together with the fly which 

 emerged from them. If the larval skin is still present^ it should 

 be placed in alcohol ; the exuvia is often all that is necessary 

 for a description of the larva. 



Leiomyza in North America (Dipt,, Drosophilidac.) 



By J. M. Aldrich, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau 

 of Entomology, Washington, D. C. 

 Historical. 

 Leiomyza was proposed by Macquart in 1835 ^o^ Meigen's 

 Agromysa glabricula and laevigata, which, as Macquart ob- 

 served, differed too much on the absence of vibrissae and of 

 anterior frontal bristles to remain in Agromyza; he also men- 



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