Xylophagus nitidus Adams 1904

Xylophagus nitidus Adams
1904. Xylophagus nitidus Adams, Kans. Univ. Quart., iv, p. 435.
1908. Erinna nitida Kertesz, Cat. Dip., in, p. 136.
Shining dark brownish, including thorax; antennae a little shorter than head; a narrow yellow line from humeri to base of wings; legs yellow, femora except base brownish, fore and middle tibiae and tarsi brownish yellow, hind ones darker brown, the terminal two or three segments of all the tarsi blackish; wings slightly tinged with brownish, a little darker at base of discal cell, stigma dark brown.
Male. — Unknown.
Female. — Length, 9 to 10 mm. Head: Blackish, front and face gray pollinose, ocellar tubercle somewhat shining; antennae only about three quarters length of head, first segment only about twice length of second, third subequal to second, flagellum subequal to first three segments, first two segments slightly darker than remainder which are brownish and with fine blackish hairs; the front not noticeably produced so that the antennae arise cephalad of the eyes; palpi dark brownish and clothed with fine dark hairs; proboscis pale yellowish.
Thorax: Mesonotum and scutellum shining dark brownish, with fairly abundant short pale hairs, the humeri and a pale narrow line enclosing the spiracle in front, pale yellowish ; pleura shining dark brownish ; metanotum also shining dark brownish with fine pale hairs on sides; hal teres pale yellowish.
Abdomen: Shining dark brownish, very narrowly yellowish at the sutures, with numerous somewhat appressed fine pale hairs.
Legs: Coxae pale yellowish except the hind pair brownish at base on the outside; femora, except at base, brownish, more distinct on the hind pair; tibiae yellowish, the fore and middle pairs somewhat tinged with brownish, the hind pair distinctly so, but paler at extreme base and tip; tarsi with apical two or three segments blackish, otherwise yellowish, except the hind pair which are distinctly brownish.
Wings: Veins dark brown; membrane almost uniformly tinged with pale brownish, a little darker on apex and through the base of the discal cell; stigma dark brownish, elongate.
Specimens Examined: n, all females.
New Hampshire: 3 9, Mount Washington, (A. T. Slosson), [A. M. N. H., ex Slosson]. 2 9, (A. T. Slosson), [U. S. N. M.]. 1 9 , (A. T. Slosson), [B. S. N. H.]. 5 9, (Geo. Dimmock), [U. S. N. M.J.
One of Mrs. Slosson's females has the front legs somewhat paler than the other two specimens. The tip of the second antennal segment is hardly noticeably paler in her specimens. I have not seen the type but these specimens are beyond doubt referable to Adams' nitidus. This species apparently differs from the other regional members of the genus particularly in that the mesonotum is wholly shining and without pollinose stripes.
Specimens in the United States National Museum have the abdomen above, except the base and tip, distinctly dark reddish as if they were somewhat teneral.

Xylophagus nitidus is a species of fly in the family Xylophagidae.