No. 413] ABERRANT PHORID4E FROM TEXAS, 343 
PSYLLOMYIA LOEW. 
Head swollen, lentiform, completely chitinized. Eyes extremely small, 
somewhat wider than high, situated on the sides of the head. Ocelli absent. 
Antenne two-jointed, only of medium size, each situated in a cavity, sepa- 
rated by the front margin of the head, which extends somewhat between 
them. Arista very thickly clothed with moderately long hairs. Palpi pro- 
jecting, not very stout, bristly along the lower side and at the tip. Pro- 
boscis very long, geniculate, without distinct labella. Thorax rounded. 
Abdomen and legs as in Phora, the latter very bare, only at the tips of the 
four posterior tibiae, with short, small bristles. Wings abbreviated, leathery, 
resting upon the dorsum of the abdomen and having the general appearance 
of short elytra (about asin Meloé). They have 
indications of three very thick, rib-like longi- 
tudinal veins, which are beset with small black 
bristles, some of which are noticeable because 
of their much greater length. Halteres be- 
neath the wings, almost rudimentary. 
Psyllomyia testacea Lw. (Fig. 1). Length 
1.75 mm. Pale brownish yellow. Arista and 
wings, with the exception of the longitudinal 
veins, more yellowish white ; the entire abdo- 
head finely punctured and covered with 
hardly perceptible hairs ; besides these there 
are two posteriorly directed black macrochete 
on the extreme anterior part of the head, two 
anteriorly directed ones on each side close to 
the base of the proboscis, one anteriorly 
directed one immediately in front of the eye, 
and four posteriorly directed ones upon the 
occiput, close to the rather acute margin of the 
head. Thorax with scattered black bristles, 
one of especially large size on the side of the thorax at the upper part of the 
front coxa. On the wings two bristles are especially large, one of them 
on the inner margin, the other near the apex. 
Fic. 1.— Psyllomyia testacea Lw., 
Q. (After Loew.) 
The specimens described by Loew were collected in Kaffir 
Land, Africa. Of all the genera this most closely resembles 
the Phorinz, yet it shows undoubted affinities with Commop- 
tera. The long proboscis is apparently quite different from 
those of the other genera.! The antenne have a dorsal arista, 
1 Wasmann, however, mentions that Dorniphora Dahl, one of the Phorinz, 
possesses a somewhat similar proboscis. 
