170 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



by the termination of the cross-vein between R 1 and Rs, in the 

 hind wing, on R 2+z instead of on the stem Rs (Figs. 5 and 6), by 

 the pubescence of the wing, by the red-brown colour of the wing 

 membrane, and by the blacker hind wing. 



The position of cross-veins I regard, from my study of this 

 family, as being very liable to variation, and I have already 

 mentioned that one specimen of mine ( $ ) has one hind wing as 

 in annae and the other as in fuscipennis. Thus the venational 

 character, on which most stress is laid, is a poor one. As regards 

 the pubescence of the wing I should not like to make a definite 

 statement, but of the two species under consideration I should 

 be inclined to place mine as fuscipennis on this character. The 

 pigmentation of the wing membrane is, as a rule, very variable. 

 In Coniopteryx pygmaea, End., for instance, some specimens 

 have dark brown or blackish wings, while in others the membrane 

 is almost colourless. This is not due to the age of the specimen. 

 Therefore, although my specimens of Parasemidalis have blackish 

 wings and not brown, I do not think much importance can be 

 attached to this distinction. However, since they have in great 

 majority the venation of P. annae, I shall provisionally consider 

 them as such until further work shall confirm or disprove. 



In all the insects examined, the more strongly chitinised 

 parts of the body, i. e. head and appendages, thoracic sclerites, 

 legs and tip of abdomen are - blackish brown; the rest of the 

 body, including wings, dark grey. Antennae are longer, and 

 somewhat thicker basally, in males than in females. Number of 

 antennal joints in two $ $ , 31 and 32 respectively. In females 

 the antennae are 27- to 29-jointed, but one example has the 

 exceptional number of 32 joints. I find no records of a male 

 of either of the two European species of Parasemidalis having 

 been taken, and therefore avail myself of this opportunity of 

 figuring the male genitalia (Fig. 9). 



The whole body of the insect is covered very sparsely with 

 the waxy powder common to the Coniopterygidae. This powder, 

 it should be stated, is secreted by glands in definitely arranged 

 areas on the body of all Coniopterygidae, and is rubbed over the 

 wings by the insect shortly after emergence. This it does by 

 scraping the abdomen with its hind femora, then rubbing these 

 over and between the two pairs of wings. It is strange that this 

 habit has apparently not been noticed previously, since a very 

 similar proceeding obtains in the Aleurodidae. 



The method of pairing is somewhat unusual, and for Para- 

 semidalis is as follows : The male approaches the female from 

 behind, and, pushing his head under the wings of the female, 

 seizes her hind coxae with his jaws. Now he grasps her hind legs 

 with his fore legs, and bending up the tip of his abdomen, pairing 

 is effected. In this way the male is carried about, the female 

 being able to use only her first two pairs of legs for walking. 



