April, '07] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 133 



The Dipterous Genus Scellus, with one 



new Species. 



By J. M. Aldrich, Moscow, Idaho. 



This small genus, with Hydrophorus and Liancalus, forms a 

 distinct subfamily of the Dolichopodidae, characterized by hav- 

 ing the last section of the fifth vein shorter than the posterior 

 crossvein, the hairs of the back of the head below forming a 

 scattered beard (instead of a ruff in a single row bordering 

 the eye), and hypopygium directed backward or downward, 

 not turned forward under the venter. 



Liancalus is readily distinguished from its near relatives by 

 having slender fore femora and elongated fore coxae. The 

 difference between Hydrophorus and Scellus is not very strik- 

 ing when written down, but easily recognized in nature. Scel- 

 lus has long spines on the under side of the fore femora, and 

 distinct, narrow longitudinal lines on the thoracic dorsum; 

 Hydrophorus has only small spines on the under side of the 

 fore femora, and the dorsum unmarked with lines, or with very 

 slight ones. The species of Hydrophorus always frequent the 

 edges of water, and are often seen running over its surface. 

 Scellus, however, is never seen at water, but is found on bark 

 of trees, on the ground, or in grass (exceptionally, perhaps on 

 stones). 



Only six North American species of Scellus have been de- 

 scribed, to which another is added in the present article. 



Scellus virago new species. 



Large species, with yellowish-brown wings and greatly elongated 

 antennae, with apical arista. 



Male. Head densely yellowish-brown pollinose, the face more 

 ochre yellow; eyes elongated vertically, the face slender; about eight 

 Mack bristles behind the eye above, and a pair on the occiput ; antennae 

 inserted high up, as long as the vertical diameter of the eye, slender, 

 the third joint nearly twice as long as the first two, with a short, 

 two-jointed, apical arista. 



Thorax thickly dusted, still with a faint coppery or rosaceous re- 

 flection showing through on dorsum and sides'. Pollen of the dorsum 

 grayish in the middle, with two very fine lines in the center, enclos- 

 ing the single row of six or eight tiny acrostichal bristles; dorsocentral 





