OCCASIONAL PAPERS OF THE CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES No. 39, 24 pages, 9 figures, 1 plate July 10, 1963-THE GENUS CALOTARSA, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO C INSIGNIS ALDRICH (DIPTERA: PLATYPEZIDAE ) * By Edward L. Kessel University of San Francisco and California Academy of Sciences Introduction The flat-footed flies, constituting the family Platypezidae, are of par-ticular interest because of the character which gives these insects both their common and family names. This character consists of the flattened segments of the posterior tarsi as found in the species of certain of the genera, viz., Clythia Meigen {-Platypeza }Aeigen), Protoclyt hia Kessel, Metaclythia Kessel, and Calotarsa Townsend. But of these, Calotarsa is unique in the possession of pronounced ornamentation of these hind tarsi in the males (figs. 1, 3, 9). The genus Calotarsa includes only three known species, all of which are confined to North America: Calotarsa pallipes (Loew) from the eastern area of the continent; Calotarsa c^/cea/o (Snow), known only from one locality in New Mexico; and Calotarsa insignis Aldrich from western North America. The calotarsas are the largest paltypezids known, specimens occasion-ally attaining a length of 10 mm. in the male and 8 mm. in the female. On the other hand, individuals half these dimensions are often encountered, these Based on studies aided hy National Science P'oundation grant G 19006.
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