ERIOPTERINA. 135 



Section III. ERIOPTERINA. 



Two sub-marginal cells; four (very seldom five) posterior cells; discal cell 

 sometimes closed, but very ofteu open. Normal number of the antennal 

 joints sixteen. Eyes glabrous. Tibice without spurs at the tip } empodia 

 distinct ; ungues smooth on the under side. 



The Eriopterina hold an intermediate position between the 

 Limnobina and the Limnophilina. Like the latter, they have 

 two submarginal cells and 16-jointed antennae ; but, like the 

 former, they have no spurs at the tip of the tibia3. Similar to 

 all the spurless Tipulidse, they have only four posterior cells ; 

 Cladura is the only exception, the only tipulideous insect to me 

 known which has no spurs at the tip of the tibiae and nevertheless 

 five posterior cells. Besides tlie characters enumerated at the head 

 of this paragraph, the typical Eriopterina (the genera Rhypho- 

 lophus, Erioptera, and Trimicra) have some striking peculiarities 

 of the venation in common. The subcostal cross-vein is placed 

 at a very considerable distance before the tip of the auxiliary 

 vein ; the second longitudinal vein originates nearer than usual 

 to the root of the wing, and the praefurca forms, at its basis, a 

 very acute angle with the first longitudinal vein (compare Tab. 

 I, fig. 14-20, and Tab. II, fig. 1). In the other genera, these 

 typical characters gradually disappear. Already in Symplecta, 

 closely related as it is to the three former genera, the praefurca is 

 gently arcuated at its basis. Gnophomyia loses another important 

 character ; its subcostal cross-vein is only at a moderate distance 

 from the tip of the auxiliary vein. Goniomyia, owing to the 

 presence of a second submarginal cell, and the absence of spurs 

 at the tip of the tibiae, has to be placed among the Eriopterina ; 

 but its immediate relationship has, for a long time, seemed 

 doubtful to me. I believe now that Psiloconopa, the European 

 representative of Gnophomyia, forms the transition between 



