AND SPECIES OF PUOEID^. 259 



end joins a channel above the antenna;, and at its upper end a channel 

 round the raised vertical triangle; the space between these two 

 latter channels (comprising the true frons) is about once and a half 

 broader than deep; on the vertical triangle are two bristles ; the third 

 joint of the antennae is moderately large, ovate, grey ; the arista short, 

 somewhat yellowish, almost naked ; the palpi conspicuous, all pale 

 yellow, with a few short black bristles at the tip ; on the cheeks are 

 some short black bristles. 



The thorax is grey or brownish grey, broad, not much arched, the disk 

 being nearly flat, and on the hinder part absolutely concave ; on the 

 disk there are no long bristles, but a dense clothing of rather short, 

 black bristles ; along the side of the thorax between the humeri, the 

 base of the wing, and the scutellum are some long black bristles, and 

 two on the thorax just before the scutellum ; on each side of the scu- 

 tellum are two long bristles ; halteres dirty pale yellow ; abdomen bare, 

 dull black, with slightly yellowish incisures; ovipositor polished black, 

 long, slightly incurved and grooved. 



Legs pale yellow, including the coxse, clothed with minute black bristles ; 

 all the coxae with two or three black bristles at the tips, the legs 

 otherwise bare excepting the spurs ; femora flattened and widened, 

 especially the hind pair, the hind tibiae also slightly flattened and 

 widened on the apical half; middle tibiae with a long spur inside at 

 the tip, and hind tibiae with a small one inside and a very minute one 

 outside ; tarsi longer than the tibiae, joints gradually diminishing in 

 length. 



Wings very slightly smoky, broad; second thick vein not extending half 

 the length of the wing, thickened, but not forked at its tip ; first 

 veinlet with a steady curve ; second very slightly curved at base, 

 otherwise straight; third very slightly undulated; fourth hardly 

 visible at base, evident towards tip, very slightly undulated ; costa 

 bristly up to end of second thick vein. 



This species is readily distinguished by its simple second thick 

 vein, eliannelled frons, small size, and by the absence of bristles 

 on the tibisB. 



It is parasitic on Lasius niger. 



Plattphoea, n. gen. 



Lata,plana,tota absque setis. Prons latissima. Thorax transversus. 



Abdomen parvus. Alarum vena cubitalis simplex, subcostali pa- 



rallela ; venulae undulatse ; costa ad basin subciliata. 



Distinguished from all the existing genera of Phoridae by its 



flat and broad shape, which resembles that of the small species of 



SpJicerocera. The absence of strong bristles on the frons, thorax, 



