[Reprinted from Bur,r,nrrN oF THE Bnoor<r,vN ENToMor,ocrcAl Socrntv,
Yol, XIX, No. 3.1

T HE CR AN E-F L IE S OF N E W Y OR K :SUPPLEMENTARYLIST.

S E C ON D

By Cnenrns P. ArexeNDER, Amhcrst, Mass.
The first addition to the general list of the Tipuloidea of New
York State was published in this Burrerrn(Yol. t7 i 5842,
tgzz). The following additions and corrections are the resultof collections made chiefly in rgz3, by Drs. Crampton andLeonard and the writer.
The additions to the list of New York Crane-flies are as follows :278 Antocka opaliz.ans
Osten Sacken. This specieshas long been
considered as being a synonym of. A. saricola Osten,Sacken,and was.so held in the general list of r9r9. Thereis no doubt, however, that the tlvo species are entirely'
valid. The following records certainly pertain to true
opalizan.s:
Albany County: Helderbergs, June 5, t94 (C. P. Alexander ).
Essex County: I(eene Valley, August 13, rg2o (Howard
Not m a n ).
z7g tlolophi,lus cramptoni sp. n.
Rensselaer County: Brookview, June 2o--3o, t94 (C. P.
Alexander).
z8o Il[olophilws qwaclri.spinosu,ssp. n.
Tompkins County: Needham's Glen, Ithaca, June 4, tgzr
( C. P . Al e x a n d e r).
(t83) Rhalthidolabis (Plectrom.yia) confusa sp. n. This species
was recorded as being R. (P.) ntodesta Osten Sacken in
the general list of r9r9. The latter is known only fromthe White Mts., N.
ol

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Bulletin of the Brooklyn Entom,ologicalSocietg vot'xrx

Albany Countl': Flelderbergs, June 5, rg23 (C. P. Alexander ) .
E r ie Coun ty : I{ o l l a n c l ,N { a v z r (M. C . V anD uzee).
Fulton County: Mountain Lake, June r3,, 19t6 (C. P. Alexander ) .
z8r Rhaphidolabis (Rltaphi,dolabis)forceps sp. r't.
Albanl' County: Flelderbergs, June 5, r94 (C. P. Alexander ) .
RensselaerCounty: Rrookview, June 6, rg4 (C. P. Alcxander ) .
z9z Tipula centralis Loerv.
Albany County: Helderbergs, Jtlne :'8, t9z3 (C. P. Alexander ) .
Essex Connty: i\'It. Mclnty*re, at less than 4,ooo feet, July r,
r 9z 3 ( N { . D . L e o n a rd ).
Before describing the four nerv speciesmentioned above, thewriter rvould like to discuss briefly two of the most interesting
localities for Tipulidae in Eastern New York.
The Helderberg X,[ottntains,Albany Coun'ty.
The magnificent escarpment known as the Helderbergs islargely included within the 3,5o acres of the John I3oyd Thacher
State Park, the superintendentof which is the Entomologist, Mr'
John H. Cook. This long and narrow park contains most of thecliffs of the Helderbergs,inciuding the Indian Ladder. The parkis easily reached by automobile frorn Albany, via the state rcad
through Altamont. By' train, one may take the D., and H. linefrom Albany to X4eadolvdale,'uvhencea two mile rvalk and climb
leads to the Inciian I-adder. In the general list of r9r9 several
Ilelderberg records were included. During the seasonof t9z3
the writer rvas twice abie to visit this splenclidcollecting ground,the first time on June 5th, in company r,vith Dr. G. C' Crampton,
the second on June r8-r9, when the r,vriter climbed the cliffs andspent the nigl-rt in the lalge cave near the lradder. The results ofthese trvo trips may be briefly summarized:
On the 5th: Di'cranonyia badi,a; D. pudica; D. liberta, one
being the prey of an Empid ; Geranomyi'arostrata; Limottta cinctip es ; An t oclru op alizans; Erio pt era (E m'peda) stignt'atica ; A'Iol oph,ilu,shirti,pennis; Gonomyio subci'nerea; E piphragma fasci'pennis; Dactylolabis ntontana, abundant on the cliffs; Ltm.nophila
sttbcostata,one the prey of an Empid ; L. (Priottolabis) ruJibasi's;June,79e4Bulletin of tlte Brooklyn Entomological Societg

59

L. areolata; Pilari'a quadrata; Adelphomyia mi,nuta; Tricyphonai,ncon.stans; Rl'tapki,dolabina flazteola; Rhaphid'olabis (Plectromyi a) conf ur o sp. n. ; R. ( R. ) f or ceps sp. n. ; Tipwla t r ivit t at a;T. rnargarita.' This rare species was hitherto known only fromthe unique type 6 taken in Tompkins County in June. A few ofboth seies were founrl in tl-repiney w-oodsat the foot of the trail
leading to the top of ihe cliffs, the first obsetved specimenbeing
noted wall<ing :rcross the roaci b)' Dt. Crampton' Ail specimens
taken, representing both sexes, were observeclfluttering along,
only a few inches above the ground. On the rSth, careful search
was made for them brrt they had quite disappeared;T. submacttlata; T. iroqu,ois; T'. angustipenni.s;T. senega; T. serta; T.
tephrocephalo; 7'. cayuga; N ephrotom,aincttraa.
By the r8th, the character of the Tipulid fauna of the Park
had changed rnaterialll', as shown by the following list of captures'. Dicranon't\ia badia; D. pudica; D. simlr'lans; Linconi.acinctipes; L. indigena; Heli,us flauipes; fuIolophilwspubipennis; Mhirtip enni,s; l,[. ursimrs; O rmo sia deai.ata; Gonomyia swbci'nerea ;Trrcatph,onainconstons; Pedici,a albivitta ; Rhaphidolobina fl'aaeola; Dolcchopezaamericano; Oropeza aetxosa;Tipwla abdominalis(larvae) ; T. oropezoides;T. cayt,ga;T. herman'ni,o;T. centralis,the first record of this Northern fly for the State; T. senega; Trnacrolabis; 7-. serta; T. trivittata; T. ualid.a; T. fuliginosa, andT, submocula,ta.
Becker's Woods, Brookvrezu,RensselaerC ownty,
This interesting bit of woodland lies along the Moordenerkill,a stream of moderate size that eventually finds its way into the
Hudson a fern'miles below Albany. The ends of the rn'oodsare
high and dry but midlength of the area lies a triangular portion
that is swampy, traversed by several small, clear trout streams'
This latter portion of the lvoods was found to be especially richin Tipulidae. In June it is covered with great numbers of skunk
cabbage, seedlings of Int,patien!, and, in fewer numbers, golden
ragwort, Towards the uplands, considerable yew enters in andon the higher and dryer portions becomesdominant, though skunk
cabbage is found scattered about almost throughout the woods.
By the end of June the Impatiens has virtually overtopped theskunk cabbage.
The forest cover of this srvampy area includes the dominant
hemlock and yellow birch, and in fewer numbers, white pine, but-

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ternut, basswoocl,red and sugar maples and white ash. Amongthe shrubs and low trees, )'ew, as described above, is dominant,with lessernumbers of blrre-beech,witch hazel and spice-bushentering in. The grouncl-cover, besides the dorr-rinantskunk cabbage and Intpatiens, includes an abundance of Clrrysospleniwncin
the hollows, sensitive and cinnamon ferns, the latter on dryer
spots, and as lianas, poison iv1' 2t6 rvoodbine. The Tipuloidea
occurred in great abnndancein this swampy portion, being especially abundant in the tension zone where the skunli cabbage isreplaced by yeu'. The crane-fliesnoted in this area of Becker's
woods, June 7-zr, 1923, are as foilows:
Di,cranomyi,aintmodesta; D. pu,bipennis;D. liberta; Lirn,ottia
solitaria; Antocka opalisans; Erioptera z)enusta,dominant; .E.
caloptera; E. stigmatica; E. septentrioni,s;E. megophtlralnta;
Gonomyiafl,orens;G. cognatella;G. blanda; G. sthcinerea; Xt[oloplzilws pubipennis; M. cram,ptoni sp. n.; M. ursintt,s; Onn,osia
pygmaea; O. nigripila; Epiphragma fascipennis; Limnophila alleni,: Only a fevl' scattered individuals of this magnificent fly,taken on the 7th,9th and zrst. They rest with the wings incumbent, legs spread,on the upper side of leaves of skunk cabbage;
L. tenuicornis: L. subtenuicorni.s; L. lnacrocera; L. rwfibasis,
dominant; L. areolata; 1.. fuscoztaria: Dominant, resting withwings incumbent, on leaf, the head held close to the resting place,the abdomen tilted upward at an angle of about 45' ; L. breai'
furca; L. subcostata; L. sylaia.' Swept from the lorv vegetation
along trout streams; noted flying low over damp spots in thewoods, 6 6 only; L, a,dusta,variety; L. lenta; Pilaria tenwipes;
P. recondita; P. qu,adrata;P. stanwood,ae:In yerv zone; Psewdolinrnophila lwtei.pennis;P. nigri.pleura; P. toronewra; Adelphomntia ntinuta; Uloutorpl,ta pi,losella; Trictplt,ona calcar; T. inconstans; Rhaphid,olabi,na fl,azteola: Liogtna nodicornts; Oropeza
aenosa; Tanyplera topazina; Tipula orope.zoides;T. bello; T.
strepens; T. collaris; T. serta; T. senega; T, triaittata; T. aalida;
T. abdominalis; T. collari,s; T. tephrocephala; T. cayuga; T, tricolor; T. submacwlata; T. her'mannia; Nephrotoma euceroides;
N. lu,gens; I{. tenu,i.s;Ptychoptera rwf ocincta; Bittacom'orpl'rella
j onesi ; Bittac om,orph,aclavip es.
On the edges of the woods, where the Moordenerkill flows
along it, occurred : Di,cranom.yia si.ntwlans;Gonomyia mathesoni;
Cryptolabi.sparadora ; Eriocera spinosa; Oropeza albipes.

tl61

On June rrth, in the higher and dr1,erparts of the lvoods, thefollowing additional speciesoccurred: Limortia triocellata; L. indi.gena; Gonomyia n'Lanca;Erioptera arnxata; Ornt.osiadeviata;
Eleph,antom.yiazt:estwoodi;; Tipwla fwligin.o.sa;'l'. longiaentri,sNephrotoma polyntera; N. i,ncurva.
On August z6-3o, 1922, the follou'ing crane-flies lvere taken in
the swampy parts of the woods: Di,cranontyiaglad'iator; D. pubipenni,s;D. liberta; D. intntodesta;Rhipidia ntacu,lata;Gonomyia
tristissima;
swlpkrtrella; G. fl,orens; G. subcinerea; Gnoph,onr,J,ia
Molophilus lubipennis; Ormo.sianigri,pila; O. deviata; O. ntonti'
cola; Eri,optera aenLtsta;E. caloptera; E. arwata; Psett,doli'm,nophila luteipenni,s; P. nigripleura; Lintnophila fu,scoaaria; L.
lenta; Pilaria tenuipes; Adelphomyia ca\tuga' Pedi.ciaalbi'aitta;
Tric y p hona inc onstans; Rhaphi,d,olabinaflaa eola; P entltopt era albitarsis; Eriocera spinosa; Pri,onocerafuscipennis; Tiptila bella;T. tri,color; T. sayi; Nepltrotom,aferruginea; Bittacom,orpkellaj onesi ; B i,ttacomorp h,a claaip es.
Molophilus cramptoni sp. n.
General coloration dark brornn; antennae of male moderately elongate, if bent backward extending approxirnately
to the wing-root; male hypopygium with the basal dististyle apowerful chitinized rod, on the mesal face before midlength
bearing a long slender spine.
Male.-Length about 3.5 mm.; wing, 4.8 mm.
Female.--Length, 4.5-5 mm.; rving, 4.8-5.4 mm.
Rostrum and palpi dark brou'n. Antennae of moderate
length, in the male if bent backward extending approximately to the wing-root; antennae dark brown throughout,the elongate-oval flagellar segments with long white setae.
In the female, the antennae are shorter and would not reach
the wing-root if bent backr,vards. Head dark gray.
Mesonotum and pleura dark brown with a very sparsegrayish bloorn; humeral region of praescutum scarcely
brightened. Halteres pale yellow, the knobs more or less infuscated. Legs with the coxae and trochanters obscurebrownish yellow; remainder of legs brown, the femoral bases
obscure yellow. Wings stronglv tinged with brown, theveins and macrotrichiae still darker. Venation: Vein znd A
ending near midlength of the petiole of cell Jllr.
Abdomen dark brown. Male hypopygium with the basistyles terminating in a blackened, slightly curved spine.
Basal dististyle a porverful, entirely chitinized rod, before
midlength on the mesal face with a long, slender spine that isBulletin of the Brooklyn Entom,ologi,calSocietll

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a little more than one-third the length of the apex beyond it,
the latter dilated before the apex and with the margins delicately and regularlv toothed, the teeth becoming smaller
toward the apical spine. Outer dististvle with the mesal arm
slender and extending a little bevond fhe broadly dilated lateral blade.
Habitat: Nerv York.
Holotype, 6 , Brookview, Rensselaer County, June 25, t9z3
( C. P . A lex and e r).
Allotopotype, 9 , June 3c, 1923.
P ar at opot y p e s2, 6 6 , 1 6 I 9 , J u n e 2 o -3o, 1923.
This interesting crane-fly is named in honor of Dr. G. C.
Crampton, to rvhom Dipterologists are indebted for invaluablecritical studies on the morphology of the order.
Molophilus quadrispinosus sp. n.
Male.-Length about 3.S mm.; wing, 4.8 mm.
Generaily simiiar to lll[. crantptoni sp. n., in the elongate
antennae and general coloration, differing conspicuously inthe structure of the male hypopl'gium.
Head dark gray. Mesonotum uniformly dark grayish
brown, the humeral angles obscure brownish yellorv. Pleura
dark brown. Legs brown, the fernoral bases extensively
paler. Wings with a faint brown tinge, the veins and macrotrichiae slightly darker brown. Venation: Petiole of cell M"
short, about one-fourth ionger than the basal deflection ofCur; vein end, A ending about opposite midlength of thispetiole. I\4a1ehypopygium with each basal dististyle a powerful, entirely chitinized black rod that terminates in a powerful, acute outer spine that is about one-half as long as theenlarged base of the style; at the base of this apical spine,.arougliened, slightly smaller spine from an enlarged base, directed mesad ind slightly caudad; at the base, lying in theaxil between this and the outer terminal spine a shorter andmore slender, straight spine, directed caudad and slightly
mesad; in addition, i fouith small spine on mesal face of thestem of the style near two-thirds its length, making a totalof four conspicuous spines borne by this appendage.
Habitat: Nerv York.
Holotvpe, 6, Needham's Glen, Ithaca, Tompkins County,
J une 4, r gr r ( C . P . A l e x a n d e r).

Junc,1924 Bulletin of the Brooklyn Dntom,ological Society

ilJ

Rhaphidolabis (Plectromyia) confusa sp. n.
Male,-Length about -tr-4.5mm.; wing, 4.8-5.6 mm.
Female.-I'ength about 5 mm.; wing, 5.6-5.8 mm.
Generally similar to R. (P.) mod,esta (Osten Sacken),from which it differs as follows:l,ateral praescutal stripes obliterated behind, the medianstripe entire. \\rings pale brownish subhyaline, the stigma
faintly inclicateri,pale brolvn. Venation: Rs short, gently
arcuatecl; cell R, almost ahvays u.ith a conspicuouspetiole
that is usually equal to or longer than the basal deflectionof
R^. Male hypopygium with the details differing from R.
modesta:Dorsal interbasea flattenedblade of nearlv uniform
diameter, the apex feebly notched; ventral interbaie stouter,slightly curved, split at apex into trvo teeth, one acute, theother obtusely rounded.
In R. (P.) m,odesta,the dorsal interbase is flattened, thelateral angle a long, slender spine, the mesal lobe a broad, 'subtruncate blade; ventral interbase a long, slender, gently
curved hook, terminating in a long acnte tip, some distanceback from the apex bearing a small, acute lateral tooth.
Habitat: New York and New England.
Holotype, 6, Mt. Toby, Franklin County, Massachusetts,altitude 8oo feet, May 20, rg23 (C. P. Alexander).
Allotopotvpe, I .
Par at opot ypes,r oo 6 ?; par at ypes, 3 6 g, M t . I ake, Fult on
Countl', New York, altitude r,6o0 feet, June r3, 1916 (C. P.
Alexander) ; r 6 , Helderbergs, Albany County, Nelv York, June
S , 1923 ( C. P. Alexander ) .
The Fulton County paratypes had earlier (Crane-flies of New
Y ork, Par t I : 8r q, r gr g) been r ecor dedas / ?. ( P. ) m , odest a( O sten Sacken). The fly is common and widel1' distributed in theBerkshires of Western Massachusetts; it was noted in great
numbers along small mountain streams near Charlemont, Franklin County, Massachusetts,in early June, 1923.
Rhaphidolabis (Rhaphidolabis) forceps sp. n.
Belongs to the tenwipes group; closest to R. persintilis
Alexander; mesonotal praescutum with three black stripes;
rnale hypopygium with the ventral face of each basistyle produced ventracl and mesad into a stout, fleshy lobe; ventral
interbase a chitinized blade that is profoundlv bifid. the arms
acute and directed tou'ard one anoiher, forceps-lilte.
Male,-I-ength about 5 mm.; wing, g.g-6 mm.

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Female.-Length, 5.5-6 mm.; wing, Z-7.5 mrr'.
Rostrum and palpi black. Antennae black throughout.
Head blackish, pruinose on orbits and in front.
Mesonotal praescutum light gray with three conspicuous
blackish stripes, the lateral stripes crossing the suture andcovering the scutal lobes; scutellum brownish testaceous;postnotal mediotergite blackened, especially posteriorly.
Pleura pruinose, the dorsal portions of the pleuro-tergite
paler. Halteles pale, the knobs infuscated. Legs with thecoxae infuscatecl basally, the tips paler; trochanters ye1lowish testaceous; remainder of legs dark brown, the femoral
bases paler. Wings with a faint brownish tinge, the illdefined stigma clarker; veins dark brorvn. Venation : Rs arcuated, in alignment or nearly so with Ru, the basal deflectionof which is very short or lacking; petiole of cell R, subequallo r-no; nuter deflectionof R, close to the tip of Rr; cell M,
present.
Abdominal tergites dark brown, the sternites and hypopygium paler. Maie hypopygium with the median lobe of thetergite very slender. Basistvle with the ventral face produced ventrad and mesad into a stout, conspicuous lobe thatterminates in numerous setae; fleshy dististyle shorter thanthe chitinized dististyle, the latter with the slender apex obtuse. Dorsal interbase a polverful sickle-shaped hook, more
oval in shape than in R. tenwipeq the apex acute; ventral
interbase profoundly bifid, appearing as two slender arms
that suggest a pair of ice-tongs, the tips acute, the stem of
the interbase with from five to seven setae.
Hobi,tat: New York and Nerv England.
Holotype, 6, Helderbergs,Albany County, New York, June 5,
r g4 ( C. P . A le x a n d e r).
AlloTopotype, ? .
P ar at opot y p e s ,/ 3 9 ;p a ra tl ' p e s , 6 , Brookvi ew , R enssel aer
County, New York, June 16, tg4 (C. P. Ale-rander); z 6 3 ,Crampton's Camp, near Sunderland,Frankiin County, Massachus et t s ,M a1' 3c , r g 2 3 (C . P .Al e x a n d e r).
The types of the neu' speciesdescribedabove are preserved in
the collection of the rn'riter.