Article beginning on page 329.
Psyche 6:329-332, 1891.
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PSYCHE.
INTRODUCTION TO BRAUER AND VON BERGENSTAMM'S VORARBEITEN ZU EINER MONOGRAPHIE DER
MUSCARIA SCHIZOMET0PA.-11.
BY C. H. TYLER TOWNSEND.
The Muscaria schisometopa are di-
vided first into two groups : the Antho- myidae and Muscariae genuinae. The
first show the costal vein continued to
the end of the fourth longitudinal, and
usually have small tegulae ; the latter
have between the third and fourth long-
itudinal, where the apical crossvein is
lacking, only a membranous margin,
and usually the fourth longitudinal
before its end bent toward the third and terminating close behind it, or at the
curve dividing into a posterior false
vein, or a true one, which runs toward
the edge, but seldom reaches it, and an
apical crossvein, which ends near the
third longitudinal, or even in it (first posterior cell open, or petidate).
Rarely the apical crossvein is lacking
and the fourth longitudinal ends in the
posterior margin, or before reaching it
(Syllegoptera, Melia, Microtricha,
Thrixion, Gastrophilus) . Tegulae gen-
erally large, rarely small.
The Conopidae are separated from
the Tachinidiie, Muscidae, and Antho-
myidae by their lack of vibrissae, and
also by the disappearance of the vibris- sal angle ; while the cheek-margins, by
their vibrissal ridges, either pass almost imperceptibly (only with a slight curve
-Myofa dorsalis Fab.- below the
middle of the face, or on the under edge of the head-Myofu $&a) into the
edges of the antennal grooves, or else
(Conops) reach entirely up to the an-
tennal prominence and bound the facial
keel, and the antennal grooves are
wanting [but this arrangement produces
a very good imitation of antennal
grooves].
The structure is similar in the Oes-
tridae, where the vibrissal angles close up the antennal grooves below on both
sides high above the oral margin, while
the last continues up between the cheek- edges as a broad clypeus with a flat or
edged facial keel (Hypoderma). In
the Acalyptratae the clypeus forms the
edge of the antennal groove below, and
the angle is lacking (Dichromyia) . The
Cordyluridae, Scatophagidae, Helomy-
zidae, Sepsidae, have near the mouth
the vibrissal angle and one vibrissa.
Head like Macquartia. The boundaries
of cheeks, vibrissal ridges, clypeus, etc. are best distinguished in Phasiidae
(Trichopoda).
These parts of the head structure have
been already described in general in the Pm-hr 6 329.333 tprc-1903). hip:/lpsyclir nilclub orgÌö/6-32 html
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330 PSYCHE. [October 1892.
monograph of the Oestridae (1863), and
in the work on the Diptera of the Im-
perial museum of Vienna (Denkschr.
acad. wissensch., v. 42, p. 108) ; there- fore it is necessary here only to repeat briefly the principal characters, and to discuss those of chief importance from
the new standpoint. The terminology
employed is the same as that of earlier
authors, so far as known, so that the
comparison of our descriptions with
those of others may be as easy as pos-
sible. Our terms differ from those of
other authors only where an understand-
ing of single parts made the addition of new terms necessary. This was par-
ticularly the case with the chitinous
plates forming the epistoma [clypeus.]
In the Schizometopa the head is di-
vided by a seam or fissure in front and
above into two parts, which merge into
each other below near the cheeks. This
seam is more or less perpendicular to
the longitudinal axis of the body, and
runs as a curved wrinkle around the
upper edge of the antennal prominence
and thence downward, generally in a
horseshoe shape. Above and outside
of the curved seam lie the so-called front, the vertex and ocelli, the compound eyes, and the cheeks ; below and inside the
seam lie the lunula with the antennae,
the epistoma (which generally deepens
above into the antennal grooves and
forms below the front edge of the oral
cavity), and on both sides of the last
the vibrissal ridyes, reaching down-
ward a greater or less distance, or
disappearing by abbreviation. Each of
these is separated from the clypeus
by a furrow 01- seam, extending from
the outer half of the antennal groove.
The vibrissal ridges usually form at the lower end a small raised or re-entrant
angle, pointing toward the middle line
of the face,-the so called vibrissat
angle, on which as a rule the longest
bristles (or the genuine vibrissae) are
located. When the clypeus lies in a
hollow, the vibrissal ridges bound the
facial groove, which must be distin-
guished from the antennal grooves, inas- much as the latter may be secondary
excavations within the former, or may
occur alone with a smooth or elevated
clypeus and often are united in a single groove (Dexiosoma). The last is
always the case when the vibrissal
ridges are lacking or abbreviated and the vibrissal angle forms the lower bou 11d- ary of the antennal grooves. Longer
bristles are often situated in that case on the outer edge of the antenn;il grooves, because the latter are identical with the facial groove (Oestromyla) .
The position of the vibrissal angle
has a relation to the lateral end of the curved seam. The latter often ends
close to the vibrissal ridges, having a
linear form; or the two ends may be
mo:-e widely separated, enclosing a
larger facial area (clypeus + vibrissal
ridges and antennae) and ending close
to the lower edge of the eye with a
larger or smaller groove (the bow-
groove, facial impression, oblique im-
pression, of other authors), by which
the upper and lower portions of the
cheek [sides of face and cheeks] are
sharply separated. If the end of the
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October 1892. ] Pb!5'YC2x.E. 331
curved seam is close to the edge of the
mouth on each side, the long vibrissa on the vibrissal angle is close over or on
the edge of the mouth (Phorocera) ; if,
however, the curved seam ends high
above the edge of the mouth (Macron-
ychiii, Phasia, Oestrus) , the vibrissal angle and the long vibrissa (or if the
latter is lacking, the angle is distinct) are high above the mouth, and the
angle forms sometimes the lower edge
of the antennal groove. The vibrissal
ridges are therefore sometimes long,
sometimes short or absent (Oestridae) .
These variations have their effect on
the clypeus. When the vibrissal angle
lies low down, the clypeus generally
reaches far below, and runs out past it
or ends between the two ; if the vibris- sal angle rises higher, it is apparent
that it is not correlated with the edge of the mouth, as that was before between
it and the facial depression, but it may stand much higher than the edge of the
mouth (the lower edge of the clypeus),
and the latter run through between the
angles, or separate them with a nose
like ridge, or the clypeus above the edge may by their convergence (re-entrant
vibrissal angles in Macronychia, Dexia,
and others) be narrowed before its end,
or in the middle, or entirely above
(clypeus biscuit-shaped or half biscuit- shaped)'. If the vibrissal angle ends
high up and bounds the antenna1 groove
below and on, the outside, then the
downward-reaching clypeus is set off
from the cheek edges-extending for-
wan.1 in this case-by the angle, and
forms, if narrow, a facial ridge, furrow or groove (Dexiosoma, Oestrus) ; or,
if it broadens below the antennal
grooves, it forms a smooth or convex
facial shield (Hypoderma) .
The region bounding the oral aper-
ture on the side is called the cheek, and its so-called breadth is really its hight in a profile view. Compared with the
vertical diameter of the eye, it is gener- ally called broad, if it measures 1-3 or more of the latter; and narrow, if it
measures 1-4 or less. The breadth is
also the diameter of the cheek from the
lower edge of the eye to the lower edge
of the head, measured in profile while
the posterior margin of the eye is in a
vertical position.
Bristles on the edges of the frontal
stripe from the vertical area to that of the upper cheek (sides of face) are
called frontal bristles or stripe-bristles ; if they are in several rows, the super-
numerary rows are on the orbital region, and we may speak of "several-rowed
frontal bristles." Those on the ocel-
lar triangle are ocellar bristles. Longer ones, at the extreme top of the head
near the ocellar triangle, are vertical
bristles. Single or pired bristles, or
several in a group, on the periorbit
near the edge of the eye below the lat-
eral vertical bristles are called orbital bristles. They occur mostly in the
female, but often in both sexes, are
rarely entirely lacking, or are repre-
sented by rows of finer inconspic~~ous
bristles (many Muscidae and Phasii-
dae). As a rule the orbital bristles
are strong and bent downward, rarely
upright or beat outward. Bristles sit-
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332 PSYCHE. [October 1892.
uated on the edges of the vibrissal
ridges, and the long one on the vibris-
sal angle are called vibrissae. If the
ridges bear such bristles up to above
the middle, the term "vibrissae ascend-
ing" is used to describe the character.
If they are in a single row, they are
simple or one-rowed ; if in two or more, they are double rowed or bushy. Bris-
tles on the edge of the cheeks (sides of face) may be mistaken for ascending
vibrissae, but check vibrissae are al-
ways below the vibrissal angle. . . .
In relation to wing structure, we
adopt in general the terminology used
by Meigen, aud therefore differ from
Rondani in the names of the veins.
The larger bristles on the abdomen
we (with Rondani and Macquart) call
macrochaetae ; those on the posterior
margin of the segment marginal, and
those on the surface of the dorsal line
discal. If these bristles stand at the
side of the body, they are lateral.
When we speak distinctly of discal and
marginal macrochaetae, we always
mean those in the dorsal (sagittal) line. If a further distinction is necessary,
the bristles of the posterior edge may
be distinguished as of the whole mar-
gin, or discal, or lateral ; or, if in the middle only, as sagittal. Some tropi-
cal forms show particularly large bris-
tles which are thick and straight, like
spines, and often cover the whole ab-
domen, or stand together in groups,
6ash-like. Van der Wulp distinguishes
these spines in certain groups, and we
follow him in this respect in the dis-
tinction of narrow groups. But they
form no character of a particular group
ht occur in several, which are sepa-
rated from each other by other struct-
ures.' All the remaining terms should
be intelligible, as we follow entirely the methods of expression of Loew, Schiner,
etc.
In regard to generic names, it has
been our intention to retain the old
name for that part of the genus to which the oldest species belongs. If that is
impossible, on account of the name
having been proposed for several species which now belong to other genera, the
name must either be used in a narrower
sense or discarded, because in the re-
tention of names which had one mean-
ing originally, and another quite
different one now, only confusion and
misunderstanding can arise. It. is de-
sirable also that describers of new species should not enlarge or narrow our genera
as soon as species are found not exactly corresponding with their characters,
but rather that they erect new genera,
.
for the very good reason that, after this kind of modification by little patches
has gone on for a time, it will be impos- sible to characterize the genus. . . .
The majority of authors seem never
to have troubled themselves to give any
account of the ideas represented by
Tachininae, Dexinae, Phasinae, etc.,
but in all these cases to have had only
one definite form in mind, so that the
characters belonging to the name long
since ceased to have any weight, when
the habitus of the form under consider-
ation suggested these groups. But how
a different appearance may conceal re-
lationship, and how similiarity with un- related forms may deceive, no genus
zver illustrated so strikingly as Sceno- tinas.
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October, 1892.1 P6'~C.B". 333
( Continued from page 326).
Described from I in the collection
of Mr. L. Bruner and taken by Dunn
in Arizona.
HIPPISCUS (X. ) PARDALINUS.
Oedifoda $arddina Sauss., Rev. mag.
zool., 1861, 324; Orth. nova amer., 2, 27; Thorn., Syn. Acrid. N. A., 213-214.
Xan/hif$us 'pardalinns Sauss., Prodr.
Oedip., 90. ,
This is a very widespread species.
I have seen specimens from Nevada ;
several localities in Utah, all of E.
Palmer's collecting. as Mt. Trumbull,
June 7-10, Mokiak Pass near St.
George, April 20-30, Parowan, 6oco1
in irrigated fields near low moun-
tains, July 3-10 ; San Diego and
Rock Spring in southern California (E.
Palmer) ; the state of Vera Cruz, Mex-
ico (Brunei-), and the vicinity of Mex-
ico, Mex. (E. Palmer). Saussure
mentions it from California, New Mex-
ico, Orizaba and Peubla, Mexico, and
from the West Indies and Venezuela.
In the United States, then, it has not
been found east of the Rocky Moun-
tains nor north of Lat. 40'.
HIPPISCUS (X.) MACULATUS sp. nov.
Head of moderate size not very tumid
above; dull cinereous, more or less fuscuus above; median carina of vertex slight, terini- nating in the middle of the fastigium, oppo- site which the low lateral walls are consider- ably angulated ; biareolate apical foveola subcircular in 3, obscure and transversely elliptical in 52 ; frontal costa rather deeply sulcate, narrowed considerably above. Pro- notum plane above, the median carina low, of uniform height, cut by both sulci and more or less obsolete between ; lateral carinae sharp, distinctly passing over under the pro- zona; process of metazona rectangulate or less, the surface variable but verruculose or coarsely arenaceous, the tendency of the verrucosities to be longitudinal ; lateral lobes bluntly subdued verrucose ; dorsum of prono- turn blackish fuscous with obscure pallid, sub- decussate, strongly divergent, posteriorly narrowing stripes ; lateral lobes obscure with a median semilunate blackish patch seated on a small quadrate whitish spot. Tegmina cinereous marked with rounded blackish fus- cous and minutely black edged spots having much the position of those of the species which have here preceded but generally
more rounded, more contracted, and hence more distant than in them, the sutural stripe rather broad, clear, and testaceous. Wings pale citron at base, the apex vitreous with black reticulation, and between a moderately broad, blackish fuliginous, arcuate band scarcely narrowing above and united, except for the slender pallid axillary line, with the humeral vitta, the outer limit of which is op- posite the middle or inner margin of the arcuate band, and which narrows and be-
comes duller as it passes toward the base which it is far from reaching; inner portion of costal margin citron as far as below, fol- lowed by a slender blackish stigma. Hind femora externally hoary cinereous below, darker above, with very oblique broad black- ish stripes and apically a semilunate black spot; beneath and apically within coral red ; hind tibiae coral red, externally hoary with black tipped spines.
Length of body, 3, 33.5 mm., $,38 mm.;
of tegrnina, 3, 35 tnrn., $ , 34 tnm.
A specimen from Colorado collected
by Morrison is in Mr. Henshaw's col-
lection, and in mine a $
from Pueblo,
Colorado, which 1 collected on July 8
or 9 and a ? from San Luis Potosi,
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