Article beginning on page 37.
Psyche 11:37, 1904.

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SOME OF THE DIPTERA TO BE COLLECTED DURING APRIL AND MAY.
BY C. W. JOHNSON, BOSTON, MASS.
THE Diptera is one of the first orders to appear in considerable numbers in the early spring, and during the months of April and May many species occur which are not to be found at any other time. A number of peculiar Mycetophilidae, Chironomidae, and Tipulidae are to be found, while the Bibionidae are especially numerous during the first two weeks in May. JBitio aZbIpennis, 23. femorata, B. /aZZipes and DiZophus b~e%c@s are frequently taken as early as the middle of April. The two sexes vary considerably and a comparative study of the spring and fall species is desirable.
In the Leptidae are many exceedingly interesting species, and the life history of most of them can be very readily studied. XyZuphagus lugens appears about the middle of April, the larva can be found-beneath the bark of decaying chestnut and oak. The only New England record for X. abdominalis is of a specimen bred from a larva found under bark by Mr. A. P. Morse, at Wellesley, Mass., April 15. X. rufipes and X. longicornis are recorded from New England without date. Leftis pZumteus should be found early in May about stumps and trees, followed a little later by L. punctipennis and L. mystacea. The species of Chrysophila rarely make their appearance before the first of June. Many species of Stratiomyidae are to be found during May, Actim uinZis, Microchrysa folita, and Sargus viridis, while Stratiomyia discalis, Odontomya interrupts and 0. ftubescens frequent the flowers of the Amelanchier canadensis and Pyrus arbutifolia. Very few of the Asilidae make their appearance before June. NitocZes poZitus Say, recorded from Mass., was taken by the writer Apr. IS, in southern New Jersey, two or three species of Crytoftogon are to be found in May, also Daulopogon tetragrams and D. terncola. The latter has been collected at Chicopee, Mass., May 24.
Some of the most interesting forms of spring flies belong to the genus BombyZizis.
B. major is frequently found as early as the middle of April, and B. ftygmaezis and B. atricefts about the middle of May. 23, pu/cheZZus should also be
found in New England ; it is taken in the vicinity of New York city from May IO- 20. The Empidae, one of the families of smaller flies, contains a number of spe- cies which are quite common throughout the month of May. In the family Syrphidae are many rare and interesting forms, which are only



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3s
PSYCHE [April
taken at this time.
The plum, sand myrtle (in southern New Jersey) willow and other early spring flowers, and the sap of maple, birch, etc., usually attract them in considerable numbers. Chrysotoxy pubescens, several species of Ptpez~z, Chilosia, Syrphus and S'hegina are to be found at this time, Brachyopa vacua fre- quents sap early in May, while several species of Eristalis and Helophilz~~ frequent the early flowers. The large Criorhina verbosa was taken as early as March 30 (1902) at Medford, Mass., by Mr. C. A. Frost. C. umbrafilis and C. analis are sometimes found in May but more commonly early in June. BrachyjaIpus frontosus often appears early in April.
Myoja vicaria and M. vesicrdosa of the family Conopidae are to be found on flowers, especially the plum. In the Tachhidue many species appear quite early but almost all of them are to be found later. 14m%omyidae are quite common, while the graceful Cordylura and the pretty winged Tetanocera are frequently taken. During the latter part of May those interesting Ortalids, Pyrgota rtndata and P. valida are to be found. Many Sapromyzidae, Oscinidiie and E^hydridae may be collected by sweeping over the grass or in damp sheltered places for the latter. By far the most interesting species is the little "hammer headed fly" (Sphyracephala brevicornis Say) which .is often taken on the leaves of the "Skunk cabbage" as early as April, although found much later. I captured a specimen at the Blue Hills, Mass., June 6. The spring of the year is a good time to work out (in part) the life history of many species, the strange larvae one finds in old stumps, logs, or under stones, if taken carefully and kept under like conditions usually pupate in a short time and in a few days the imago appears. Notes and drawings should be made, or speci- mens of the larva and pupa, if you have duplicates, should be saved. MEROPE TUBER.
I am able to add another to the sixteen records given by Mr. Herbert S. Barber, in his interesting paper on the "Occurrence of the earwig-fly, Merope tuber Newman."
(Proc. Entom. Soc. Wash. VI, so).
This specimen, a
male, is in the local collection of the Wagner Free Institute of Science, Philadelphia. It was captured several years ago by Mr. Philip Nell, in Fairmount Park.- C. W. Johnson.
PELECINUS POLYTURATOR Drury.
Two males of this species were collected in 1902 by Mr. Owen Bryant, at Cohasset, Mass. Mr. Bryant has presented them to the '' New England collection " of the Boston Society of Natural History.- C. W. Johnson.




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