132 GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA INSECTS. 



structure of the antennae, or according to the method of escaping from the 

 pupa. These two schemes are now commonly combined making three groups, 

 one with many jointed antennae, one with a short antenna and the pupa 

 skin splitting normally, and a third group with a circular split. 



HIPPOBOSCINA. 



HIPPOBOSCID/E 



This family includes the winged birdlice and also certain tick-like flies. 

 Lipotenia with rudimentary wings, which infests deer, and Melophagus en- 

 tirely wingless, on sheep. They differ from all other insects by the fact that the 

 whole larval life is passed within the body of the parent. For this reason 

 the family was at one time separated as a distinct order. 

 Hippobosca ovinus — Melophagus. ovinus (Linn.) 



Lipotenia depressa (Say.) Olfersia impressa — Stilbometopa. 



Melophagus depressus — Lipotena. Stilbometopa impressa (Big.) 



TRY PET IN A. 



AGROMIZID/E. 



The larva of Agromyza simplex is reported as burrowing in asparagus 

 stems and numerous eastern species attack other plants. An eastern Desmo- 

 metopa has been bred from human excrement while Leucopsis and Copto- 

 chaetum are parasitic, the latter on the cottony cushion scale. 

 Agromyza pictella Thorn. Desmometopa halteralis Coq. 



platyptera Thorn. m-nigrum Zett. 



simplex Loew. LeuccspiE ninricornis Big. 



Ccptochaetum iceriae Wil. Ochthiphila lispina Thom. 



DROSOPHILID/E. 



One species of Drosophila is reported as mining the leaves of cabbages 

 but most of the species live in decaying fruit and vegetables. 

 Drosophila apicata Thom. 



OSCINID>E. 



The larvas of all the species of the largest genus Chlorops as far as known 

 feed on the stems of grasses including wheat, and Meromyza is considered a 

 very important pest. Our species of Oscinnus has been reported from wheat 

 hut has also been bred from human excrement. Gaurax lives in the egg 

 masses of spiders. 

 Chlorops assimilis Macq. Hippelates genalis Thom. 



graminea Coq. Meromyza americana Fitch. 



proxima Say. microcentris Coq. 



rubida Coq. Mcsiilus ^neus Fall. 



Gaurax aranese Coq. Oscinis trigramma Loew. 



