[Berliner Entomolog. Zeitschrift Bd. XXXVI. 1891. Heft IL] 407 



Synopsis of the described genera and species 

 of the Blepharoceridae 



C. R. Osten Sachen. 



As the principal papers on the Blepharoceridae i) have beeii 

 published in italian and german, I thought it might be useful to 

 publish in english a survey of our present knowledge, as Avell as of 

 the existing literature concerning this interesting family. 



Half a Century has elapsed since the first species of this family 

 was described: Asthenia fasciata Westwood, in Guerin's Magazin de 

 Zoologie 1842, Insects, PI. 94. — Since then the number has gradually 

 risen to thirteen described, and two as yet imperfectly known 

 species. Six of the thirteen belong to Europe, one to Asia, five 

 to North-America, one to South-America. The two imperfectly 

 described species are the two Paltostom ae from S. America and 

 Mexico. 



In both of bis papers, Loew established subdivisions of the 

 family and constructed corresponding analytical tables. The primary 

 subdivision in the italian paper is based on the length of the pro- 

 boscis; that in the german paper is established on the presence or 

 absence of spurs on the bind tibiae. In my Bemerkungen etc. I 

 adopted a still diflferent basis of subdivision, the presence or absence 

 of the incomplete vein on the posterior margin, which affords, I think, 

 a more natural arrangement. For the present paper I constructed 

 a table based upon the same principle of subdivision, but I enlarged 

 it so as to include the species, as well as the genera, and to bring 

 up the subject to date, with regard to recent discoveries. 



i) These papers are: 

 H. Loew, La famiglia dei Blefaroceridi (Bellet. Soc. Entern. Ital. Vel. I, 



p. 85—101, w. a plate. 1869). 

 — — Kevision der Blepharoceridae (Zeitsch. f. Entom., neue Folge, 



Heft VI, Breslau 1877), w. a plate. 

 Osten Sacken: Bemerkungen über Blepharoceriden, ein Nachtrag zu 



Loew's Revision etc. dieser Familie (Deutsche Entom. 



Zeitsch. 1878, p. 405). 



