2E3

Nematocerous Diptera
Two undescribedfrom the BelgtanCongo.
la

CHARLES P. ALEXANDER.

; .
.

(MassachusettsAgriorltural C;ollege,Amherst, Mass.)l(Date- de publication : r Juillet rgzS).

EXTRAITDE LA

REVUE DE ZOOLOGIE ET DE BOTANIQUE
AFRICAINES
Publide sous la direction du Dr H. SCHOUTEDEN

VOL. XVI; FASC. r. -fmprimerie

ELLEBOUDTOSTENDE.

I

B-t.-r9rz8.

(Tervueren)(Rev.ZooI.Bot. Afr., XVI, r.)(A paru le vVl-rgz(8.

Two undescribed
NematocerousDiptera
from the BelgianCongo.
CHARLES P. ALEXANDER.
(Massachusetts
Agricultural College,Amherst,Mass.)

In an extensive shipment of Tipulidae from the Belgian Congo,
belonging to the Congo Museum and kindly submitted to me for
identification by Dr. ScnourEDEN,were included an undescribed
speciesof.Ptychopteraand an undescribedDixa.I am greatlyindebted
to Dr. Scnournprn for the privilege of studying these interesting
Diptera.
PTYCHOPTERIDAE
The species described herewith as Ptychoptera uelensisis thefourth member of the genus to be made known from the EthiopianRegion. The speciesmay be distinguished from its allies by meansof the following key :A Key to the Specieso/ Ptychopten of the Ethiopian Region.
r. Mesonotum orange, unmarked or virtually.
so. (Natal-Eastern Transvaal) .
Mesonotum blue-black to black, without
yellow or orange markings.

capensisArnxeuoon (r)2.

(rl Ptychopteracapmsis
Ar,nxntorn; AnnalsSouthAfrican Museum,17 2 r?9-r4o i r9r7.
Type in the South African Museum'

-25)

Thorax uniformly black and metallic blue ;middle and posterior coxae black.
(Northern Belgian Congo : Uele)
Thorax more or lessvariegated with yellorv ;all coxae pale

ltelensis,sp. n.

3.
3 . Thoracic pleura vellow ; wings with thecostal margin ancl apex dark brown ;abdomen black, the third and fourilr
tergites with narrow yellowish annuli.
(Southern Nigeria)
nlri cana Ar.rxsNnnn (r )Thoracic pleura brownish black with a restricted yellowish white area ventracl oI
the anterior spiracle ; wings with thecostal margin anrl apex not conspicuously
tlarkened ; abclornenorange, tergites one
to five ringecl caudallv rvith brownish
black ; a black subterntinal ring ; hypopygium redrlish brorvn. (camerour-r)
cuTnelounensis
Arnxewoen (z)Ptychoptera uelensis, Sp. o.
General colorationblack, with weak cupreousreflections; mesonotal
praescutum and scurum chiefly blue-black ; postnotum with deep
purple reflections; pleura uniformly darkened; middle and posrerior
coxaeblack; wings subhyaline,with aheavybrown pattern; abdomen
black, the second tergite with an obscure reddish brown nng at
near midlength.
Female,-Length about 8 mm. ; wing 8 mm.

Rostrum black, the maxillary palpi brown, the terminal segment
passing into black ; labial palpi conspicuous pale. Anrennae withthe first scapalsegment black, the second brown ; flagellum broken,
Head blue-black, more uniformly blackened behind.
Pronotum black. Mesonotal praescutum black, with weak cupreousreflections, the disk with three confluent, deep metallic blue stripesthat virtually cover the dorsum I surfaceof praescutumnot markedly
sculptured ; scutal lobes similarly deep metallic blue I remainder(r) Ptychoptera.africanaArEx.nNoEn; Entomologist,53 : ror-ro2 ; rg2o. Type in theBritish Museum (Natural History).
(z) P. camerounensfu
ArrxlNorn ; Insec. Inscit. Menst., 9 : t45-t46 i rgzr. Type in
the CarnegieMuseum.

26of mesonotum more blackish, the postnotum with deep purple
reflections.Pleura black, with weak cupreousreflectionsldorsopleural
membrane dark. Halteres black. Legs with the fore coxae brown,
the remaining coxae black ; remainder of legs black, the tibiae andbasitarsi a trifle paler. wings (Fig. r) subhyaline, cells c and sc
uniformly darkened ; a relatively narrow darker brown crossbandFig. r. -Wing of Ptychopterauelensis,sp. n,

at the cord, on the distal section of vein Cu, becoming abruptly
narrower and obsoletebefore the margin, or virtually so ; wing-apex
infumed, the inner edge of the marking irregular ; basesof cells
R and M infuscated ; still darker brown spors at h and the tip ofR,-r, ; cell Sc, pale yellowish brown ; veins dark. Macrotrichiae
abundant in the cells beyond the cord. Venation : Rs very short,
only a little more than one-halfr-m ; cell Rr relativelyshort.
Abdomen black ; second tergite with an obscurereddish brownfing at near midlength. ovipositor and genital segment horn-color.
Hab, Belgian Congo (Haut-Uele).
Holotype, !, Yebo Moto, ry26 (L. BuncnoN).
Type in the Musde du Congo.

DIXIDAEThe discovery of a new speciesof Dixa in the Ethiopian Region
is a matter of unusual interest. The only other member of the family
from this region is Dtxa ( Paradixa) camerounensis
ArrxeNorn,from the Cameroun (taken at Muami, altitude reog feet, from moss

-27on bank of brook, during wet weather, August z, rgz3 ; Jacon

A. Rrrs). The two speciesmay be distinguishedby meansof theaccompanyingkey :of Dixa of the Ethiopian Region,
A Key to the Species
r. Femora obscure yellow, narrowly tippedwith black, this usually preceded by abroad, clearer yellow ring ; wings yellowish
subhyaline, the costal region more yellowish brown ; a narrow darker brou'ncrossband entirely traverses the wing
(F'ig. S) ; cell /?3 longer than its petiole.
(Canreroun)ca,me,/ou,nezsis
ArnxeNonn (r)Femora obscure brownish yellow ; wings
with a strong brownish tinge, the costal
region still further infumed ; no dark seamalong the corcl (Fig. z) ; cell R3 shortert h a n i t s p e t i o l e .( B e l g i a n C o n g oK: atanga)
h a t a n g a e ,s p . n .

Dixa (Paradixa) katangre, sp. n.
General coloration brown, the scutal lobes conspicuouslymarked
with velvety brownish black I femora obscure brownish yellow twings with a strong brownish suffusion, the costalregion still furtherdarkened ; cell R: shorter than its petiole.
MaIe, - Length e.8 mm. ; wing 3,j mm,
Head crushed,dark colored.Antennaebrown, the terminal segments
broken.
Mesonotum brown, subnitidous, the scutal lobes velvety brownish
black, the median area of the scutum broadly pale ; praescutumwith the stripes vaguely palet, especially the median one. Pleura
dark brown, the ventral sclerites more brownish yellow. Haltereswith the knobs dark brown. Legs with the coxae and trochantersobscure yellow I femora obscure brownish yellow, the tibiae a little
darker ; tips of the tibiae weakly expandedand blackened; tarsi lightbrown, the outer segmentspassinginto dark brown. Wings (Fig. e)(r) Dixa (Paradixa)camerounensrs
Alrxanorn ; Insec.Inscit. Menst., 14 . ro-r2 ; 19z6.
Type in the Alpx.llsorn Collection.

-28R' Cu, R, with a strong brownish tinge, the costal region still
further infumed i vague dusky seams along veins R, and Cu,.
Venation : Cell R3 shorter than its petiole i r-m on Rs shortly
beyond the origin of the latter.
Abdomen dark brown ; hypopygial region blackened.
Hab. Belgian Congo (Katanga).
Holotype, 6, Lubumbashi, Ht. Katanga, June 19, rg2o (Dr.
Mrcsrl Brquannr). Typ. in the Musde du Congo.
Both of the Ethiopian species of. Dixa so far described belong
to the subgenusParadixa Tonrvoln (RecordsCanterbury Museum,z , zz3 i 1924), in which the antennaeare elongate, exceeding thecombinedhead and thorax and with the r-m crossveinplacedbeyond
the fork of Rs ofl R..

Fig, z, - Wing of Dixa (Paradixa)katangae,sp. n.

Fig.,- Wing of.Dixa (Paradixa)camercunensds
Alsxar.lopn.