C. T. Brues.
The Habitat of Ænigmatias (Diptera: Phoridæ).
Psyche 54:265, 1947.

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THE HABITAT OF ^ENIGMATIAS (DIPTERA :
PHORIDB)
BY C. T. BRUES
Biological Laboratories, Harvard University The sexes of the interesting genus 2Emgmatias like those of many Phoridas are extremely dissimilar owing to the apterous condition and otherwise profoundly modified and degenerate form of the female. Three species, known from the winged male have been found in North America. The female of one of these is known, defi- nitely associated with the male from a pair taken in copula by Malloch and described by him as Bnigmatias flavofemorata. Malloch's types were from Illinois, col- lected "on a sandy bank along the Illinois Central Rail- road between White Heath and the Sangamon River." As the genus is known definitely to be myrmecophilous, at least in Europe, the specimens taken by Malloch were quite probably from the nest of some ant in the vicinity. Previous to this a single female was taken in Arizona by Coquillett and described by him as B. schwarzii. Of this he says "it occurred on low vegetation in a local- ity where no ant nests could be found."
During the summer of 1945, the present writer col- lected a large number of miscellaneous insects on sheets of " tanglefoot" fly-paper in northwestern Massachusetts while making a census of insects to determine the effect of DDT on the insect fauna of woodlands. Among the more than 300,000 specimens obtained (of which some 51% were Phoridse) was a single female of Bnigmatias from Petersham, August 4. This, which is apparently the third female to be reported from North America, was trapped on the trunk of a tree several feet above the ground. From this, and from the experience of both Coquillett and Malloch it is apparent that these tiny wingless Bnigmatias wander freely from the ant nests where they are domiciled, perhaps following foraging ants. This specimen is not sufficiently well preserved to determine whether it is 2E. flavofemorata, or more probably, 2E. eurynota Brues known from a male col- lected in 1910 by Mrs. Brues at Forest Hills, Massachu- setts.
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Pu&e 54:26S I1947). http //psyclir.enl<-liib.ore/54/54-2(Ì him1



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