EPHYDRA. 169 



Gen. IV. EPHYDRA Fall. 



The hairy, exceedingly vaulted, and very projecting face, the 

 very large opening of the mouth with ciliated border, the con- 

 cealed clypeus, the nearly straight and rather long claws, and 

 the indistinct pulvilli, characterize the genus Ephydra. The bris- 

 tle of the antennae is usually pubescent, sometimes almost pecti- 

 nated with short rays. The genera nearest related to Ephydra 

 are Ccenia and Scatella, the claws of which are curved and the 

 pulvilli distinct. The genus Tichomyza is not so near to the genus 

 Ephydra and may be easily distinguished from it by its unusually 

 large pulvilli. 



1. E. atro- vixens Loew. % and £ . — Obscure viridis, nitida brun- 

 neo-pollinosa, antennanim articulo tertio unipili, seta brevissime pube- 

 rula; % quinto abdominis segmento prsecedente breviore, hypopygio 

 brevi, marginem segmenti quarti posteriorem non attingente. 



Dark green, glossy, dusted witb brown ; third joint of the antennse with a 

 hair, the terminal bristle with very short pubescence ; % , fifth segment 

 of the abdomen shorter than the fourth, hypopygium short, not reach- 

 ing the posterior border of the fourth ventral segment. Long. corp. 0.-17 

 —0.18. Long. al. 0.17—0.18. 



Exceedingly similar to the European Ephydra micans Hal., so 

 that I am unable to distinguish the female of the two species, but 

 the much shorter hypopygium of the male characterizes the species 

 as a distinct one. Dark metallic green, very shining, but with 

 brown hoar on the front, thorax, and abdomen, which, distinctly 

 appearing on an oblique inspection of these parts of the body, 

 makes them appear brown and opaque; this brown color is least 

 visible on the abdomen. Antennae black ; third joint on its outer 

 side near the base with a single bristle-shaped hair, which is longer 

 than the joint itself; antennal bristle only with very short pubes- 

 cence. The front and the sloping space extended between the 

 antennae and the highest elevation of the face are shining green or 

 bluish-green. Face dusted with white, which, according to the 

 observations made in the allied species, may not be a constant 

 marking; border of the mouth in both sexes with short and rather 

 fine cilia, quite as in Ephydr. micans Hal. The ground color of 

 the legs is greenish-black, covered with dust, shining blackish- 

 green on the rubbed parts. Wings clouded with blackish-gray. 



Hab. Middle States. (Osten-Sacken.) 



