54Psyche[AprilUNDESCRIBED SPECIES OF DICRANOPTYCHA FROM
EASTERN NORTH AMERICA (TIPULID^E, DIPTERA).*By Charles P. Alexander,Amherst, Mass.

While revising the species of the crane-fly genus Dicranoptycha in my collection, a few species that had not been described

were noted and their diagnoses are given in this paper.

Thematerial upon which the descriptions are based was largely in-cluded in the writer’s collection and in a very extensive series oftheseflies

collectedinIndiana,

Tennessee,

North Carolina,

Georgia and Florida by Prof. J. Speed Rogers of the Universityof Florida. Specimens of Dicranoptycha septemtrionis were taken

by Dr. Crampton and by Mr. M. C. Van Duzee.

Iexpress mysincere thanks to all of the above named gentlemen for their co-operation in this matter.

The crane-flies of the genus Dicranoptycha are eminently
characteristic of open Austral woodlands, often occurring far
from running water. The immature stages of certain species, atleast, are spent in dry soil in habitats such as the above.
Recentpapers by the writer on the Eastern species are included in thefollowing references: Entomological News, 30: 19-22; 1919.
Pomona Journal of Entomology and Zoology, 11: 67-74; 1919.

Cornell University Agr. Expt. Sta., Memoir 38: 829-830; 1920.

Thestructureofthe malehypopygium

offersthe best

characters for the differentiation of some of the otherwise very

In general, the basistyles are unarmed and do
The two dististyles are broad-similar species.

not offer good specific characters.

ly joined at base, the outer more or less heavily chitinized andarmed in various ways with teeth and erect setulse. The shapeof this style and its armature is of prime importance in defining
the various species. In D. tigrina Alex., D. minima Alex, and D.
pallida, sp. n., there are no denticles on the outer margin of thestyle.
The inner dististyle is more fleshy and differs in shape inContribution

from

Agricultural College.

theDepartment oEntomology,

MassachusettsUndescribed Species of Dicranoptycha

1926 ]

55

At the base of the mesal face of the basistyle
but not connected with it, nor, apparently, connected with thetergite, lies a pale flattened rod that is termed herein the lateralprocess. From its position it appears to be an interbasal process
but from its location in membrane rather removed from thethe various forms.

basistyles, I hesitate to call the structure

an interbase.

The

shape of these lateral processes differs much in the various species.
The aedeagus and surrounding apophyses vary greatly
and offer remarkable characters. The largest aedeagi are foundin D. sobrina O. S. and D. megaphallus, sp. n.
In most of theother species, the organ is relatively small and insignificant.
The gonapophyses are greatly produced and bifid at their tips inD. tigrina Alex.

Dicranoptycha australis sp. n.

——Male. Length 9-9 5 mm. wing 8 5 mm.
Female. Length about 8-8 5 mm. wing 8-8 3 mm.
Generally similar to D. sobrina O. S., differing especially.

.

;

.

;

.

in the hypopygial characters.

Basal two segments of antennae obscure yellow, the flagellum
abruptly dark brown. Head and thorax light gray, the praescutumwith a very ill-definedbrown median stripe.
grayishPleura light gray.

Legs with the coxae sparsely pruinose; tro-chanters obscure yellow; femora and tibiae obscure yellow, withdarker setae; terminal tarsal segments passing into dark brown.

Wings with the costal fringe(cf) relatively shortand incons-membrane strongly suffused with brownish yellow, thecostal region clearer yellow; veins brown. Venation: Rs shorter
picuous;than the elongate cell ls£

M sometimes angulated and spurred2,

at origin.

Abdominal tergites pale to medium brown; segment seven
blackened; eight dark brown; hypopygium and sternites pale.

Male hypopygium with the outer dististyle relatively small,
gradually narrowed and gently curved to the long acute apicalspine; outer surface with short, dense, erect setae; distal halfwith microscopic appressed serrulations.

Inner dististyle stout,

the apex suddenly enlarged, provided with coarse setae.

Aedeagus,

Psyche56[Apriland inconspicuous, the apex rounded.

relatively small

Lateralprocesses with the apex of each not evenly rounded but directedslightly lateral, the mesal edge rounded, the lateral edge nearlystraight to appear like a pruning-knife.

— South-eastern United States.

Habitat.

Holotype,d,Florida,Gainesville,

April 15,1922(J.

S.

Rogers); No. 43.
Allotype, 9, Ocmulgee Valley, Bibb Co., Georgia, June 3,
1923 (J. S. Rogers); No. 4.
Paratopotypes, 6 d $ paratype, 1 d with the allotype.
Type returned to Professor Rogers.
;

Dicranoptycha septemtrionis sp. n.
Generally similar to D. sobrina O. S.; mesonotum darkbrown, sparsely dusted with gray; pleura pruinose; femora andtibiae yellow, the terminal tarsal segments dark brown; wings
tinged with yellow, with a faint brown tinge; abdominal tergites
brown, segments seven and eight dark brown; male hypopygiumwith the outer dististyle rather strongly curved, the blackened
apex microscopically serrulate on all surfaces; aedeagus small
and inconspicuous, about equal in size to the lateral process.
Male
Length 7-7.5 mm. wing 8 5-9 mm.
Rostrum brownish gray, the palpi drak brown. Antennae
with the basal segments light yellow, the flagellar segments
.

—.

;

Head yellowish gray.

gradually passing into brown.

Pronotum dark, dusted with gray.

Mesonotal praescutum
dark brown, sparsely dusted with gray, especially on the humeri;
scutellum and postnotum gray dusted.

Pleura pale, the dorsal
Halterespleurites darker, the entire surface sparsely pruinose.
pale, theknobs weakly infuscated.

trochanters yellow; femora andtibiae

Legs with the coxae andyellow; basitarsi yellow,

the tips and remainder of the tarsi dark brown.

Wings with ayellowish tinge, weakly suffused with brown, the costal region
clearer yellow; veins pale brown, those of the costal region moreyellowish.

longer thanCostal fringecell

1stMi,

beyond the fork of M.

1(cf )

relatively short.

Venation: Rs

the latter rectangular; m-cu shortlyUndescribed Species of Dicranoptycha

1926]

57

Abdominal tergites brown, segments seven and eight darkbrown, segment nine slightly paler; remainder of hypopygium
yellow; sternites brownish yellow. Male hypopygium with theouter dististyle relatively short, rather strongly curved to theacute tip, with about the distal half to third of the style blackened; base of style with microscopic setulae that become longer,
more conspicuous and suberect outwardly, the surface of thestyle in the blackened portion microscopically serrulate on allsurfaces. Inner dististyle longer, fleshy, with conspicuous setae,
the style gradually narrowed to the blunt apex.
Aedeagussmall and inconspicuous, subequal in size to one of the lateralprocesses, the latter broad at base, thence gradually decreasing
to the narrowly obtuse apex.
Habitat.
North-eastern United States.
Holotype,
Greenfield Mt., Franklin Co., Massachusetts,
September 6, 1925 (G. C. Crampton).
Paratopotypes, cf $ August 23-September 6, 1925 (C. P'Alexander); paratype, U, Niagara Falls, New York, September
6, 1911 (M. C. Duzee).

—,Type in the writer’s collection.
D. sobrina 0. S. in my “Crane-flies
New York,” Part I, Cornell University Agr. Expt. Sta. Mem.
All of the records forof

25: 797; 1919, pertain to this new species. Material was sent tovarious collections in 1925 with the determination of D. sobrina.

The species flies late in the season and all of those seen alive by
the writer occurred near sluggish streams of water, usually at thefoot of wooded hillsides.

Dicranoptycha megaphallus sp. n,Male.

— Length about 8 mm.; wing 9.2 mm.

Generally similar to D. sobrina O. S., differing conspicuously

maleand the spinulose outer dististyle of the male hypopygium.
The head and thorax of the type are greasy and the color-in several features, notably the short costal fringe of theation

isdiscussed in general terms only.

Antennae with thescapal segments light yellow, the flagellum darker.

Head dark,

any normal pruinosity destroyed.

colored,Thorax dark

un-Psyche58[Aprildoubtedly pruinose in fresh specimens; sternopleurite paler than
the remainder of the pleura. Halteres pale, the knobs slightly
darkened. Legs with the coxae and trochanters obscure yellow;

femora yellow, including the fore femora; tibiae and tarsi yellow,
the terminal tarsal segments passing into dark brown. Wings
with a grayish yellow tinge, the base and costal region clearer
yellow; veins brown, more yellowish in the costal region. Venathe proximal end of the lattertion: Rs shorter than cell IsZ
little
m-cu
a
less
than
its own length beyond themore arcuated;M

2 ,fork of M.
tergites brown, the lateral margins narrowly
segments six and seven dark brown, eight and nine, withthe hypopygium, yellow; sternites yellowish brown. Male hy-Abdominalpaler;

popygium with the outer dististyle relatively long and slender,
the distal half or less blackened and armed with small but conspicuous spinules, those on the outer face more nearly erect; basal
half of style on outer face with short, dense, erect setulae.

Innerbroad basally, narrowed apically, the tip a little exAedeagus very large, on slide appearing rectangular,panded.
Lateral processes evenly rounded attruncate, pale.
subthe tip
dististyletips.

Habitat.

— Tennessee.

Holotype,cf, Allardt,Fentress Co., at light, altitude 1650

No. 11.

feet, June 10, 1924 (J. S. Rogers);

Type returned to Professor Rogers.
Dicranoptycha pallida sp. n.
Generally similar to D. winnemana Alex., in the pale coloration; legs yellow, the tips of the tibiae and the basal segments ofnarrowly darkened; wings with a strong yellow tinge;
costal fringe (c? ) short; abdomen (cf) with only the eighth segment darkened; male hypopygium with the outer dististyle

tarsi

1

smooth on the outer convex face; aedeagus small; a single small,median gonapophysis.
Length about 7-7 2 mm. wing 7 2-7 8 mm.
Male
Length 9-9 5 mm. wing 8-8 5 mm.
Female
.

——.

.

.

.

;

;

.

.

Undescribed Species of Dicranoptycha

1926 ]

Rostrum and palpi dark brown.

59

Antennae with the basal

segments obscure yellow, only the outer flagellar segments more
infuscated. Head brownish yellow.
Mesonotum shiny brownish yellow, the pleura light gray
Legs
Halters pale, the knobs slightly infuscated.
pruinose.
with the coxae slightly pruinose; trochanters obscure yellow;

femora yellow, with conspicuous erect setae; tibiae and tarsi lightyellow, the tips of the individual segments weakly infuscated;
terminal tarsal segments uniformly infuscated. Wings with astrong brownish yellow suffusion, the costal region clearer yellow;
veins dark yellow. A few trichiae at ends of both anal veins.
Costal fringe (d ) relatively short. Venation: Rs considerably
longer than cell2
Abdominal tergites brownish yellow, segment eight conspicuously dark brown; ninth tergite and the hypopygium light
Male hypopygium with theyellow; sternites paler yellow.
outer dististyle of moderate length, gently curved to the acutetip, the outer margin entirely smooth, the inner margin with
only a few weak denticles on the distal quarter before the spinous
apex; vestiture of style barely visible, under high magnification
71M.

appearing as microscopic setulae. Inner dististyle stout, gradually decreasing in diameter outwardly, clothed with conspicuous
slender setae, those at the apex only a little stouter.
small,relatively slender.

whichisAedeagus

A single gonapophysis, the tip ofbent ventrad toward the aedeagus.

Lateral processwith the apex evenly rounded.
Habitat.

— Kansas.

Holotype,cf,

Lawrence, Douglas Co., altitude 900

feet,

August 1, 1918 (C. P. Alexander).
Allotopotype, 9 July 16, 1918.
Paratopotypes, 10 c? 9 July 16-August 1, 1918.
,,

Type in the writer’s collection.
Thisisthe species (Kansas material only)

discussed inpapers by the writer as being D. winnemana Alex. (Ent.
News, 30: 19-21; 1919 Pomona Journ. Ent. and Z 00 L, 11:earlier—67-74;1920).

1919— Cornell Univ. Agr. Expt. Sta., Mem. 38: 829-830;