A SYNONYMIC CATALOGUE OF THE DIPTEROUS 
FAMILY PHORIDAEi 
By Charles T. Brues 
The present catalogue includes a complete list of the species 
so far described belonging to the Phoridae from all parts of the 
world, as well as the few fossil forms which have been given names. 
There has been very great activity during the past few years among 
a small number of taxonomists who have paid attention to this 
interesting family, resulting in the description of a large number 
of new species as well as a considerable series of new genera. Thus 
the number of known species has increased from about 150 to 472 
within the last decade, while some 25 genera have been subdivded 
and added to till the number here listed has reached 46. Some 
are based on extremely aberrant forms, known in some cases only 
in the female sex, and it seems very probable that a part of these 
will be found in the future not to deserve generic rank. Some 
of the generic segregates of the old genus ^Thora’’ also do not 
appear worthy of separation as genera, but as they have already 
become well established in the literature, only two or three of the 
least distinct have been suppressed in the present catalogue. 
Most of the changes in generic and specific names already insti- 
tuted by various authors from a strict application of the priority 
rules have been adopted, but I have been unable to subscribe to 
certain changes based on the papers of Rondani and Lioy. From 
a critical examination of the work of the latter author, it is very 
evident that in most cases he did not have before him the type 
species which he cites for his genera and there appears to be no 
means of now ascertaining upon what insects these names were 
based. Rondani’s generic names have been lately accepted by 
CoquilletU but have since been disregarded by Malloch, Brues and 
1 Contributions from the Entomological Laboratory of the Bussey Institution, Harvard 
University, No. 78. 
2 The Type-species of the North American Genera of Diptera. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 
37, pp. 499-647, (1910). 
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