a Ae ‘J DF A! ir oe POCA in AN MCE a0 AR we lh ay ated ok TAD iba aA ary Dw +4 8 hd Died dal Ce LARA at AL Pere Wee Tt 1 brednse aid (t eu ‘ tied atari Tia tes RR aa * 1 Yad di vine fa ry SiN anna Hf) ‘i ew the be eo t) aN Wt win ca ha Via Med Ned aeitely se 0 PME Y Whe RR eS uM Pre Or RI) Paice ar Wa} yn ray rk ne vee RC Lae wwe 4 seme Hast gat Ns ‘ I) Pee a MY TE HAT SON Wd Qa bieelene BAN Wey Ci * A OA A oe ae ‘ uy » dt CW eT NIA yoy wie HEN Waly CORONAL Sa) CATER TR Wes RORY AOU RL AL yi aN: aa Patera iia eae: aus ry a3 ua ih) A 4, ay re Ay ' KY neat iy Ci v AW ar part b, Le ae ray \ Rute un be et a TC ae eae) hast 1. +A ay sale ts Hit wad t ae GR 4 el Hea RUE RReE RC: Away Wide Werke dW Asad Deve on uot AL en Beat it dha’ Nad aL MH RIOL, eK | i wt FRO) ‘ en a) ¥ ey ater ated N aehie SOOPER AGG ae aa abd * 1a wa PPR a CA aa na ' 4 a4 i tae fy a ’ en} ea ia tae RR face min Cx] A ’ a tty aoe) me Vitali, i ita By th “hd dee Nailed Cann lina Pup Ves A Coe Ue va © Ye sa tinient manne e acennacths WM WOH A Mite ete m wane ye Ny Sih on * At" A cf ‘aie By Hh ‘\ wf) Wt daeae Rouen aew i 0. alt abaya HU AOU De a Vo ony tit Ga eas Wa oe 8 4 ory) haired Soy ny at iy soci au acdet iui OT Cnet “” Vee aed Liat etal » ae a Mh () ‘ ane wh waa, Vong hry Taian: aes i te hn 4) Fi Oot tm. oR Nea) inde Saw ay Vota aii re) wea ner ' } + SOOKE re Hd We vi weh ses » ni in Ca eyene ih aria 2 Patan my ten) ne at ay moe ot ii a eit ted cs oly sind Nano 4:2 ah BAA ‘ie ro 0) hy yy pay A Wed iy 4 ave ht ae MOLE, Hatin 1 cy howe Nae vinas Hf ae iy sit yy paayiaea oO) “iS: ) yf a AIL} ‘ 4) aren ue re | aan L a Ai sd baie % 4 ae) Navas tie} RON) ae tes Y De i hy Q aah es ih 4 *) ORG OU Na A Apes) Watt ae CON TA i Ay nie Cadi a Wit at Y ’ Loh ae Fay deal Wid 4 f, ry “a ‘. badd 4 ad Cone YN aie uu) 4 deveaty ay Mie POO no i nituth OE Tue bi ttn) WAR Pali! ed ky oy ‘ rt 4 aa ” 9 4s RR RO Nee Ni W f » 7 ONO en Hasan aee 4 a4 Ce it’ LJ oh, iwade a di" DERN ea Vad aay Caren aN, LA WY es us Hes) hed + sins Ma vey Noy ae at Hod be Ga dy i ‘ i aed RGR hy ay 4“ v4 LAE, a \ dre et BOTS oie Pera erie ha ia HK hale Tt ee * Ce ae Tob (iste) mr " Oy nase: hens Bb ate + oh th re ie aaa a a hee a Brn: zk ae he in ja4l ah west, Wie Macc) hoy salty Any if ain mea on Le Li hy > coe es Whey pte: a ste ene Prrata ee ri aK Dn 4 PAAR ie nv. a » he noes a3 paiey as prea ; tit a OER hy ‘ catty the ta eee " f nee ie ‘teas a Sonne ty Re ae ve ‘ieee aca 1 Yy SES ' ines yt yey ‘Np th ee 9 bat faites Uraarnc i ae , Yea yesi s hes Sa i Nan iN ys Rees » ene iy iss ak se Sy Soisetaet i MIN ae ols fe eae ha) So t) eae % hot eh ee : alas las . OMe nie i on At us ice Wy a Ahi ii cr faa ve wa Ee Al Wi) Sielee aa i WOE AARNet Rass Ry bal Ath Fiat ett a ; Baran ae aig ) yates Hy iy Spal ry ee Heyy ae et ps GA) as i ee He tt att hk VE has Nanas ae iy sa a RE crn Mee * oe ee bt AH Am nite athe oe aS a tae sa My Na pees iia Fy Pestana ae iy See re oy eno iba K ay Y RAR Os, enone ts Rees i. ‘eee ais i SA Pee hh 34 + 1 ‘ a4 Rae 1a “ tat 4 Nyt ae nf Hats a aa CAE RMI TN bane 4 SAF do Oe seh vedi ry hak sabe - 4 Nadi mr on Ney i ead! 4 a ERT aay ora + (aaa esata RU i" 4 va od ade iyrery vt th " a oH te minh Ses 0 ao en os oe : _ DIPTERA DANICA GENERA AND. SPECIES. oF FLIES HITHERTO FOUND IN DENMARK ae ea - a LUNDBECK ee “PART ve a -ASTLIDAE, ‘BOMBYLIDAE, ’ ‘THEREVIDAE, SCENOPINIDAE E ae es: v6 Ge WITH 48 FIGURES | G. E: ¢.GAD — COPENHAGEN. cae ‘LON DON: WILLIAM WESLEY AND. SON. oe ee) zh i M He 4 i i bots ai Ao 3s ; Ase x ie ek ¥ 4 ) DIPTERA DANICA PART II Qe DIET ¢ gt na /Fof. Y DIPTERA DANICA GENERA AND SPECLES OF PLIES HITHERTO FOUND IN DENMARK BY WILLIAM LUNDBECK Pate tt ASILIDAE, BOMBYLIIDAE, THEREVIDAE, SCENOPINIDAE WITH 48 FIGURES PUBLISHED AT THE EXPENSE OF THE CARLSBERG FUND G. E. C. GAD — COPENHAGEN LONDON: WILLIAM WESLEY AND SON 1908 aa) , Wty ¥ ‘. ~ hh ~ ¢ ; a bs 2 ‘ = a a e = a, ; ~ ze é — -* ois ine = : ; eas ate 2S a 4 S - id ari RRM HEE Te £ ia Pa 7 o-8 ee td — + Ph amma ane -iy WATSON a COPENHAGEN — (ORTHORRHAPHA BRACHYCERA.) (PLATYGENYA.) HETERODACTYLA. PROCEPHALA. Asilidae. Head short, flat or slightly excavated behind; it is broad and nearly always broader than high; it is as broad as, or somewhat broader than, thorax. The vertex is strongly excavated in a saddle- shaped way, and thus the eyes are prominent above. The head is slightly arched in front and very often there is a smaller or larger callus on the epistoma, reaching more or less up towards the an- tennz; this callus is set with strong, downwards curved bristles, the epistomal beard. Jowls small, generally only slightly descending below the eyes, rarely more. Antenne nearly always inserted near to each other and more or less above the middle, sometimes very high and then the frons is very short; the antennz are sometimes placed on an antennal tubercle; they are three- to five-jointed; when more than three-jointed the last or the two last joints form a blunt or pointed style, or an arista; when this is two-jointed the basal joint is short, and sometimes the style is indistinctly two-jointed. Eyes separated in both sexes, the face being more or less broad; the facets ~in the front part of the eye, from the inner eye-margin outwards, more or less enlarged in both sexes, sometimes only very slightly. Three ocelli present, situated on an ocellar tubercle on the excavated vertex. Ocellar bristles present or absent; a row of occipito-ocellar bristles along the posterior eye-margin. The parts of the head sur- rounding the oral aperture only slightly membranous, thus no oral cone is formed; on the occiput there is a membranous part below the occipital foramen in which part the united stipites of the maxille lie. The clypeus is marked off on the lower part of the epistoma; it is triangular or rounded upwards and flat or often impressed, below it has a small membranous part. The proboscis varies in length from Diptera Danica. II, 1 2 Orthorrhapha brachycera. rather short to a half times longer than the head is high; it is straight or nearly so, only in Xiphocerus curved inwards towards the end; the proboscis is directed downwards or more or less forwards, truncate or more pointed at the apex. Labrum is short, generally of the length of the basal part of labium; hypopharynx is strong, semitubular and pointed at the apex; the upper edges of the semitube are beset with erect hairs over more or less of the apical part or nearly the whole length; the hypopharynx is used to sting with. The maxille are also rather strong with a long, pointed or truncate, sometimes semitubular lacinia and with one- or two-jointed palpi. Labium has the basal part occupying more or less of the length up to the half part; the apical part is more or less distinctly divided into two joints, some- times undivided; this apical part answers to the labella but is not developed as such but strongly chitinised like the basal part, and below it is not divided in the middle line. Generally the division between the basal and the labellar part is somewhat distinct; at the apex the labellar part is more or less beset with hairs, and the basal part has long hairs below. Hypopharynx and maxille are about equal to the length of the labium. Thorax is high, more or less arched above; it is rect- angular or nearly oval. It bears often macrocheete and then generally presutural, supraalar, postalar and also dorsocentral bristles, and on the scutellum marginal bristles. Sometimes macrochetze are not developed. On the metapleura there is generally a vertical row of bristles or strong hairs, often also continued down the hypopleura. The prothorax is distinctly developed; it is narrow, and hence the head is free, not lying towards the front end of the thorax. The pro- thorax has a transverse row of hairs or bristles above. The meta- thorax is also rather distinctly developed, the dorsum is generally small but the metasternum is moderately large, and the space between it and the hind coxee is filled up by a membrane. Abdomen is long and generally narrower than the thorax; sometimes it is very slender. It is generally cylindrical, sometimes more flattened or on the contrary somewhat compressed. It consists of eight segments, but often one or even more of the last are small or hidden. The first dorsal seg- ment is always short and generally broader than the following one which is as a rule the longest; the first ventral segment, following after the metasternum, is nearly always very short. The male geni- talia are large and projecting; they seem in all cases to be formed of parts of the segment or segments following after the eighth. I have not been able to work out in all cases the homologies in the different genera, but generally the genitalia consist of the upper forceps, and below this the lower forceps; between the arms of the upper forceps Asilidae. 3 lies a dorsal median lamella of a somewhat paired structure or it is divided into two styliform lamelle; on the ventral side at the base of the lower forceps lies a ventral median lamella, sometimes very large. In the interior is the penis, generally curved upwards. The female abdomen terminates in a shorter or longer ovipositor, generally with a pair of lamelle at the apex; often the eighth abdo- minal segment forms part of the ovipositor, and in some cases even the sixth and seventh. The legs are strong or more slender, some- times very strong; in some cases they may be specially developed, e.g. have the hind metatarsi very elongated, or thickened, or there may be spines at the end of the front or the hind tibie. The legs are hairy and more or less bristly, the bristles being of different categories, very thin or stronger or very strong and spine-like. On the ventral! or antero-ventral side of the front tibiae and on the - posterior or postero-ventral side of the hind tibize there is a special, short, dense pubescence, and similarly on the under surface of the tarsi. All tibiz have apical spurs. The claws are generally somewhat strong; there are two, generally rather large pulvilli, sometimes they _ may be rudimentary or even wanting (Leptogaster, Acnephalum, Rha- dinus, Psilinus); the empodium is strong and claw-like or weaker and more bristle-shaped. Wings with the costal vein extending all round the margin; the subcostal cell open or closed; the cubital vein forked, sometimes (in non-Danish genera) the upper branch with a recurrent veinlet or a vein prolonged to the radial vein; thus there are two or three cubital cells. Discal cell formed exclusively of the discal vein; between it and the upper branch of the postical vein a postical cross- vein, or this cross-vein wanting and the postical vein uniting with the discal vein only at a point or for some distance, and in the latter case contributing to form the discal cell. There are five posterior cells, all open or the fourth often narrowed at the apex or closed at a shorter or longer distance from the margin. (In some non-Danish genera the first posterior cell may also be closed). The anal cell reaching the margin, open or closed. The basal cells of equal length or the second shorter than the first. The alula generally well developed, rarely 1 With regard to the different sides of the legs and the arrangement of the bristles on them I use the method proposed by Mik (Dipt. Unters. Jahresber. d. k. k. akad. Gymnasiums, 1878) and later on by Grimshaw (Entom. Month. Mag. 2, XVI, 1905, 173). When we consider all three pairs of legs as stretched completely and horizontally out rectangularly to the body I term that side of both femora and tibiw which is turned upwards the dorsal or upper, and the opposite the ventral or lower; the side which looks forwards is the anterior or front side, and the opposite the posterior or hind side. 1* 4 Orthorrhapha brachycera. rudimentary or wanting (Leptogaster). The alar squamula is small, more or less hairy at the margin; the thoracic squamula not developed but the frenulum distinct and often somewhat broad towards the angulus; the halteres not covered. In rest the wings lie parallel over the abdomen, one covering the other, then the squamula and frenu- lum generally point outwards somewhat process-like. The larve are elongated, cylindrical, finely striated longitudinally. The body consists of thirteen segments including the head and when the segment-like part in front of the last segment is counted. The abdominal segments have sometimes transverse swellings, especially below, or they have warts. The head is small, retractile, and brown, chitinised. There are some bristles on the head and the last segment. The mouth parts consist of a median, hook-formed labrum, knife- shaped mandibles and large and broad maxille with a generally two-jointed palpus. The mandibles and maxille are movable up and down. There are small antennal papille but no eyes. The larva is amphipneustic with spiracles on prothorax and on the penultimate segment (or segment-like part); the spiracles are small. The pupa is free; on the front side of the head across the lower part of the eyes lie the antennal sheaths, directed to each side; they have a strong spine at the base and are compressed with some strong downwards inclined spines. At the bases of the sheaths of wings and legs there are generally small spines. The abdominal segments have each a girdle of spines above and a girdle of bristles below; at the apex of the body there are some spines. The larvee are carnivorous; they live in the earth or in sand and devour other larve, and they are recorded sometimes to penetrate into these and eat them quite empty. Some larve (Laphria) are found under bark and in stubs, here feeding on larve of bark-beetles and the like. The pup are likewise found in the earth or under bark and in stubs. The Asilids are middle sized to large flies — A. crabroniformis being one of our largest flies —; they are characterised by their more or less long shape and the deeply excavated vertex causing the eyes to be prominent above. They are all rapacious and feed on other insects which they attack with great vigour, and the prey is often even as large as the attacker. From the difference in the venation of the wing the Asilids fall into two groups, those with an open and those with a closed subcostal cell, that is Dasypogoninae and Laphriinae- Asilinae. As already noticed by L6w (Ueber die eur. Raubfliegen, Linn. Entom. II, 1847, 386) the wing with the open subcostal cell is a less strong appliance for flight than the wing with a closed subcostal Asilidae. 5 cell, and the Dasypogoninae with a few exceptions also include the weaker, generally more slender forms with often less strong legs; these forms take weaker prey. The Laphriinae and Asilinae are stronger and generally more bristly, and they fly very well; they are therefore the strongest robbers, often attacking rather strong and large prey. — There is a work of Poulton (Trans. of the Ent. Soc. of London, 1906, 323) on the prey of Asilids which is of some interest. The author maintains that there is mimicry between Asilids and their prey, but I do not think this is correct, and I have not at all found it confirmed. In the following I shall give what is known to me about the prey of the single species. — As said before, the hypopharynx is used to sting with and it is used when the fly attacks. It may be plunged through rather hard chitin; it is thus recorded that an Aszlus stuck it through the elytra of a lady-bird, and Asilids have been captured with species of Hister as prey. Whether the Asilids are in possession of a poison or not is not known, but it is recorded (f. inst. Poulton, |. c. 365, foot-note), that the prey collapse instantaneously, and I have made the same observation myself, so that the action of some poison is very probable. Zeller (Isis 1840, 34) says that they have a poisonous saliva but gives otherwise no definite information; he says also that they may use the mouth parts for defence and he continues: ,Der Stich ist zwar empfindlich genug, verursacht aber wohl nie Geschwulst.* Riley (First Rep. of the U.S. Ent. Gomm. 317) remarks about the American species Proctacanthus milberti Macq. that they ,have a suf- ficiently powerful beak to produce quite a severe sting on the human hand.* — The species of Asilids occur in many different localities, both in woods, some especially in pine-woods, on fields, heaths, at the shore and in downs, but most species always seek dry and sandy districts; some generally prefer stems and piles, others the sandy ground. The weaker forms generally occur in herbage and high grass. From the palearctic region about 500 species are known and from North America about 550; I find only one, Laphria gilva, common to both regions. I am aquainted with no case of parasitic Hymenoptera from Asilids, and so far as I am aware none is recorded in the literature. Aslids earlier recorded from Denmark. — Kramer in 1760 (Spec. Insectol. Dan.) records two species: A. crabroniformis and ater. Brin- niche in 1761 (Prodr. Insectol. Sizelland.) has three: A. crabroniformis, ater and forcipatus. In 1763 (Pontoppidan, Dansk. Atl. I) he has 7: A. crabroniformis, ater, gilvus, germanicus, forcipatus, tipuloides and oelandicus. Noting more can be said about these species than that they are Asilids and identical with some of our species; probably 6 Orthorrhapha brachycera. the easily recognised species crabroniformis, gilvus, germanicus and oelandicus are correctly determined; ater is I think L. marginata. O. F. Miiller, 1764 (Faun. Fridrichsd.) has 8 species: A. forcipatus, gibbosus, ater, tipuloides, oelandicus and the three new: maculatus, medius and ignavus. In 1767 (Flor. Fridrichsd. App.) he enumerates moreover germanicus and crabroniformis. Of these species pro- bably crabroniformis, germanicus and oelandicus are correct; gibbosus may be thought to be L. ephippium though the description may suggest some doubt, and tipuloides is perhaps a Leptogaster; ater is again I think ZL. marginata. With regard to the new snecies it is somewhat probable that maculatus and ignavus belong to Leptis; medius is so very insufficiently described that nothing can be said about it. — Fabricius has in 1787 (Mantiss. Insect.) one species from Denmark, A. linearis; in 1794 (Entom. Syst. Il) he enumerates one more A. hyalipennis. He has in 1805 (Syst. Antl.) the same two species, now under Dioctria; both species are new, and these two species were thus originally established from Denmark. — Meigen records in 1830 (Syst. Beschr. VI, 334, 63) an A. Domitor to which the loca- lity: ,Im danischen Seelande* is given and moreover there is said: yin von Winthems Museum.“ I wrote about this species to Prof. Handlirsch who kindly took the trouble to search for it, but finally informed me that the type was not to be found. After Meigens description I think with great probability that the species is Dysma- chus forcipula, only he says about the colour of the legs ,pechbraun‘, yet this is not rarely seen in not quite mature specimens. — Jacobsen records in 1843 (Nat. Tidsskr. IV, 315) Dioctria Reinhardi for the first time. — Zetterstedt has in 1842 (Dipt. Scand. I) 12 species: La- phria ephippium, marginata, Asilus crabroniformis, germanicus, aestivus = cyanurus, atricapillus, forcipula, Dasypogon cinctus, Dioctria oelan- dica, flavipes = hyalipennis, Leptogaster cylindricus and guttiventris. In 1849 (VILL) he enumerates moreover: Laphria podagrica = marginata, Dioctria Reinhardi, cothurnata = Reinhardi and cingulata = linearis. He thus knew in all 14 species from Denmark. In the present work 28 species are enumerated. ! Table of Subfamilies. 1; \Subcostal @ell ‘open! s. =". eee fee. eee 1. Dasypogoninae. —) Subeostal cell :closedsiiy.. ics de sae See eee ee 2. 2. Antenne three-jointed, without style or arista....... 2. Laphriinae. — Antenne five-jointed, with a two-jointed arista...... 3. Asilinae. ' Asilus danicus Schranck (Fn. Boica, III, 1, 1803, 160, 2552) is not from Denmark what could be thought on account of the name; Schranck named it so, because he identified it with A. oelandieus var. (Miill. Prodr. 181, 2134); besides the species is unrecognisable. Asilidae. 7 1. Dasypogoninae. Slender or more robust species. Antenne four- to five-jointed, the third joint the longest, somewhat compressed; it has at the apex a one- or two-jointed style which is blunt or pointed; often the style is indistinctly two-jointed. Legs not specially strong. Wings with the subcostal cell open; two cubital cells; between the discal cell and the upper branch of the postical vein a postical cross-vein or in some genera (Leptogaster, Stichopogon) the postical vein lying close to the discal cell and thus no postical cross-vein present; five poste- rior cells, the fourth often somewhat narrowed or (in non-Danish genera) closed; also the first sometimes, but rarely, narrowed or closed (in non-Danish genera); anal cell open or closed. Table of Genera. 1. Wings relatively short; no postical cross-vein; no pulvilli 1. Leptogaster. — Wings not short; a postical cross-vein present; two PUPimIeia Clie PEL hed SL oe IE! Hah: dledondbs laws date 2. 2. Antennal style blunt; hind femora and tibie with a fringe of short hairs on the ventral side............ 2. Dioctria. — Antennal style pointed; hind legs without a fringe.......... 3. 3. Front tibie with a spine at the apex; no distinct epi- SHOE LORI) Sh AIR fh toss lea oe ais A a aR 4, — Front tibia without a spine at the apex; an epistomal PMR DUOC hs Ait. oaa ey ees sy. eoldiae atsl Shas ede & 5. 4. Spine at the end of the front tibie large; epistomal beard reaching half way up towards the antenne; anal cell open; large species ........ Sgt sales he Rc araera 3. Dasypogon. — Spine at the end of the front tibie small; epistomal beard reaching to the antenne; anal cell closed; smaller SGC ESS Ch Re Ot eee eee oa Peary eT certo eer eee eee 4. Leptarthrus. 5. Epistomal callus not reaching the antenne.......... 5. Lasiopogon. — Epistomal callus reaching to the antenne........... 6. Cyrtopogon. 1. Leptogaster Meig. Species of middle size and very slender shape, and of greyish or brownish colour. Head somewhat broader than thorax and conside- rably broader than high; it is short and slightly excavated behind. The eyes are large and the epistoma narrow, somewhat widened downwards, without any distinct callus; the epistomal beard is not dense. Antenne inserted near to each other, considerably above the middle. Jowls small, only very slightly descending below the eyes. No oceliar bristles present. The antenne consist of four joints, the two basal joints are short and of equal length, the third joint is oval, compressed, 8 Orthorrhapha brachycera. with a narrow part in front on the apex of which is placed the last joint; this is at the end suddenly narrowed in a styliform way’. The eyes have larger facets just in front at the inner margin from the insertion of the antenne downwards. The clypeus is indicated in the middle on the lower part of the epistoma. Proboscis is shorter than the head is high; it is straight, directed downwards and somewhat forwards; the basal and the apical part of the labium are of equal length; labrum is short, triangular, of the same length as the basal part of labium; the maxille have the united stipites lying on the posterior side of the head in a membranous part below the occipital foramen; the lacinia is pointed, slightly curved towards the apex; the maxillary palpi are short, slightly club-shaped, one-jointed; hypopharynx is long-pointed, rather thinly beset with erect hairs above over somewhat less than the apical half; maxille and hypopharynx are of equal length and as long as labium. ‘Thorax is rectangular, very high and somewhat arched above; scutellum is small and directed obliquely downwards. There is one preesutural and one intraalar bristle, both strong; scutellum is without bristles, and on the metapleura no long hairs. Metathorax is rather distinct, the pleural parts bend down and unite on the ventral side behind the hind coxe; the metasternum on the other hand is a small plate lying at the hinder end of the metathorax. The space on the ventral side between the downbent pleural parts and the metasternum is membranous. Abdo- men is long and slender, consisting of eight segments; the features of the anterior segments are somewhat curious (Fig. 1); the first dorsal segment is very small, then follows a long second segment which has a transverse row of punctiform muscular impressions a little before the middle; the following segments decrease evenly in length and have the transverse row of muscular impressions lying near the front margin; on the ventral side the structure is different, the first ventral plate is only somewhat shorter than the second, thus it stretches some way in under the second dorsal segment, and the connection 1 The antenne in Leptogaster are generally ascribed a two-jointed style, but as shown by figs. 3 and 5 this is erroneous. Meigen who founded the genus in Illig. Mag. II, 1803 says in this place about the antenne only: ,dreigliederig es a das letzte kegelformig, spitzig*. In Klass. d. europ. Zweifl. 1804 he says: ,dreigliedrig ..... das dritte ist kegelférmig, zusammengedriikt, an der Spizze mit einer Endborste.“ In Syst. Beschr. europ. zweifl. Ins. II, 1820 he says: ,das dritte Glied .... an der Spizze mit einem zweigliederigen Griffel: das erste Glied sehr kurz, das zweite walzenférmig, haarig, spizzig, and his figure (Tab. 21, 11) also shows such a style; but this is a mistake, the style is undi- vided and has no second joint, neither at the base nor at the apex. Asilidae. 9 between the first and second ventral plate lies just under the row of muscular impressions on the second dorsal segment; the second ventral plate reaches to the end of the second dorsal; the other Fig. 1. L. cylindrica. Metathorax and abdomen. 1—8 the eight dorsal segments, 1’—8' the eight ventral segments, M. NV. metanotum, M.S. metastermum, M. mem- brane, U.f. upper forceps, L.f. lower forceps, V. Z. ventral lamella, D.Z. dorsal median lamella. ventral plates are of the same length as the dorsal plates to which they belong. The last segment is short, especially in the male. The male genitalia are somewhat swollen; they consist of a large hook- formed upper forceps the arms of which are curved towards each other at the apex, so that they leave a space between them; in this lies the median dorsal lamelia directed more or less upwards between the arms of the forceps; below the upper forceps lie the lower for- ceps; the arms of the latter are somewhat bulbous at the base with hook-formed, somewhat complicated apex which is hidden between the arms of the upper forceps; below the lower forceps at the base lies the somewhat arched ventral lamella; the lower forceps and the ven- tral lamella are connected at the base. In the interior lies the penis with a long, thread-like appendage which is generally (when not retracted) curved down along the ventral lamella. The female genitalia consist of a small, generally quite hidden ovipositor. Legs not especially strong, the hind legs relatively long; the femora have only a few bristles at the apex; the anterior tibize have some long, thin bristles on the posterior side and the hind tibiz have some similar bristles on diffe- rent sides; the tibie have moreover some apical spurs. The tarsi have strong bristles at the sides and short bristles on the lower sur- face. The front and hind tibiz have a dense pubescence apically on the ventral side. The claws are relatively long and strong; there are no pulvilli and the empodium is claw-shaped. Wings relatively short; the subcostal cell open, the cubital vein with a long fork, the basal cells of nearly equal length, the upper branch of the postical vein lying close to the discal cell, thus there is no postical cross-vein; all 10 Orthorrhapha brachycera. five posterior cells and the anal cell open. Alula not developed. Alar squamula small. I have not examined the larva and pupa but they are described by Beling (Arch. fiir Natgesch. Jahrgang 41, 41 et Jahrg. 48, 195); the larva has a length up to 12mm. with a diameter of 2 mm.; it is cylindrical, white, finely striated longitudi- nally. Head small, brown, retractile, with some long hairs. A transverse row of small warts (Kriechschwielen), on the ventral side larva is amphipneustic with spiracles on prothorax and on the penultimate segment \ (or the marked off front part of the last Fig. 2. L. cylindrica, hind segment); the spiracles are small. The pupa leg. >< 20. is 6mm. long, 2 mm. thick, yellowish white. The strongly diverging antennal sheaths lie on the under side of the head. Each of the first seven abdominal segments has on the dorsal side a row of six to eight brown spines directed backwards, and moreover the segments are allround, beset with erect, thin, brownish hairs, which are most dense towards the apex of the body. The wing-sheaths reach to the hind margin of the second and the sheaths of the legs to the hind margin of the fifth abdominal segment. The larve live in the earth; they are found both in loamy soil on fields and in humous earth; they hibernate and the transformation to pupa and development of the imago take place in spring or summer. The species of Leptogaster have a characteristic appearance from their long slender shape and the short wings; they occur both on open fields and in thickets as also on commons near the shore; they fly very dexterously in the high grass and herbage; when sitting the hind jegs are generally stretched somewhat forwards so that all six tarsi are placed near to each other. I have never observed any Leptogaster with prey. Zeller (Isis 1840, 34) mentions that he finds a striking analogy between certain Asilids especially Leptogaster and the species of Agrion, so much more easy to observe as species of both often occur together in the same localities; this observation merits re- membering as it is a very good one; there is in reality a striking resemblance in the manner of sitting, flying and to a certain degree in the whole behaviour of the species of Leptogaster and those of Agrion. Meigen already seems also to have had an eye for this resemblance in so far as in Klass. europ. Zweifl. he calls Lepto- of the sixth to the eleventh segment. The Asilidae. 11 gaster ,Libellenfliege* which name in Syst. Beschr. he changes to »ochlankflige*. Of the genus 22 species are known from the paleearctic region 2 of which have hitherto been found in Denmark. Table of Species. 1. Abdomen with a dark, longitudinal line; hind femora with a longitudinal, black stripe on each side, the tarsi mainly black, only pale at the base; the peduncle of the second cubital cell from the medial cross-vein longer than the peduncle of the second posterior cell; the fourth posterior gall cwathiqayjshort peduncle Yah fs fo eden Gait a een 1. cylindrica. — Abdomen with dark transverse bands; hind femora with a black ring near the apex, the tarsi pale to a great extent; cubital and posterior cells rather long; the peduncle of the second cubital cell from the medial cross-vein not longer than the peduncle of the second posterior cell; the fourth posterior cell has no peduncle............ 2. guttiventris. 1. L. cylindrica Deg. 1776. Degeer, Ins. VI, 99, 10, Tab. XIV, Fig. 13, (Asilus). — 1842. Zett. Dipt. Scand. I, 186, 1 et 1849. VIII, 2976, 1 et 1855. XII, 4581, 1. — 1847. Léw, Linn. Entom. II, 403, 7. — 1862. Schin. F. A. I, 118. — 1903. Kat. palaarkt. Dipt. II, 101. Male. Epistoma yellowish to bright yellow, grey on the lower- most part; the epistomal beard white. Proboscis and palpi black. Front and vertex yellowish brown, the ocellar triangle dark. Occiput yellowish at the eye margin but greyish on the middle; the occipito- orbital bristles yellow. Antennz black, the second joint rufofulvous. The eyes slightly dark greenish. Thorax greyish brown, the hinder Fig. 3. Antenna of L. cylindrica. >< 40. part and the scutellum greyish; on the disc three broad, brown stripes, the lateral stripes abbreviated in front, all three pointed posteriorly and not reaching the scutellum, the middle stripe generally divided by an often indistinct median line. On the humerus a small, black shining spot and from here to the wing-root a narrow, black shining line. The presutural bristle yellow, the intraalar bristle black. The pleura grey, especially downwards. Abdomen brownish grey with a dark brown line along the dorsal surface; venter brownish grey. Abdomen sparingly clothed with short, pale yellowish pubescence; at the apex of the first dorsal segment there are some longer, yellow bristles. The genital forceps black, shining, with somewhat long, pale 12 Orthorrhapha brachycera. yellowish hairs, the median dorsal lamella ferrugineous to blackish. The legs yellow, the cox grey; the trochanters have a black point on the inside at the tip; the hind femora have a more or less distinct, longitudinal black stripe on each side which is broadest behind, the middle femora may show traces of a similar stripe and, more rarely, also the front femora; the hind tibiz have a rather broad black stripe on each side which become broader on the apical part and here the two stripes unite, this part of the tibiz thus being black; the anterior tibize have a black stripe along the front side. The tarsi and the claws are black, the larger basal part of the metatarsus and the utmost base of the second joint yellow. Legs clothed with short, yellowish hairs, and the front and hind tibiz have the common dense pubescence apically on the ventral side. The longer bristles on the tibiz are whitish to yellow; the bristles on the tarsi are pale at the base of the tarsus but black towards the end: The wings are somewhat Fig. 4. Wing of L. cylindrica. short, very slightly yellowish with dark brown veins; the branches of the cubital and discal veins are curved somewhat downwards; the peduncle of the second cubital cell from the medial cross-vein is longer than the peduncle of the second posterior cell; the fourth posterior cell has generally a short peduncle. The halteres are yellow, the knob often slightly darkened. Female. With exception of the genital differences quite agreeing with the male, only the dorsal stripe on abdomen is narrower towards the end on account of the more pointed abdomen. Length 7— 14,5 mm.; individuals of the smallest size are less common; generally the females reach the greatest length. L. cylindrica is common in herbage and high grass in nearly all localities, both in woods on somewhat open places, on fields and meadows and also on commons near the shore and along streams; Vesterfeelled, Dyrehaven, Ruderhegn, Hillergd, Frerslev Hegn, Tisvilde, at Soro and Skelskér; on Funen at Odense, Lundeborg on the eastern coast, Langenso and Faaborg; in Jutland in Norholm Skov near Varde, at Haslund near Randers, on Leesg and finally on Bornholm at Ro and Hasle. My dates are */6—*/s. Asilidae. 13 Geographical distribution: —- Northern and middle Europe down into France; towards the north to middle Scandinavia; and in the east of Siberia. 2. L. guttiventris Zett. 1842. Zett. Dipt. Scand. I, 187, 2. et 1849. VIII, 2976, 2. — 1847. Léw, Linn. Entom. II, 397, 3. — 1862. Schin. F. A. I, 118. — 19038. Kat. paliarkt. Dipt. Il, 102. — 1820. LZ. cylindrica Meig. (nec. Deg.) Syst. Beschr. I, 343, 1, Tab. XXI, Fig. 16. Male. Epistoma white or greyish white, epistomal beard white. Proboscis and palpi black. Frons and vertex brownish grey; occiput grey, the occipito-orbital bristles blackish above but whitish lower down. Antenne black, the second joint rufous; the style pubescent (requires a somewhat high magnifying power to be distinctly seen) (Fig. 5). Eyes slightly dark greenish. Thorax much as in eylindrica, Fig. 5. Antenna of L. guttiventris. >< 40. brownish grey with three dark brown, broad stripes, the lateral stripes abbreviated in front, the middle stripe divided anteriorly by a grey line; scutellum grey; humeral and postalar calli more or less rufous; pleura grey; the preesutural and intraalar bristles black. Ab- domen grey, the apical part of the segments lighter, in front of this part a broad, transverse, dark brown band, generally prolonged for- wards in the middle. Not rarely the hind margin of the second and third segments is slightly yellowish. Venter mostly coloured like the dorsal surface. The abdomen is sparingly clothed with short, yellowish hairs, at the margin of the first segment there are longer bristles. The genitalia shining black, ferrugineous beneath, with pale hairs. Legs yellow to ferrugineous; the cox grey; the trochanters with a black point at the apex on the inside; the hind femora with a blackish ring near the tip and generally with a narrow blackish line nearer to the base on the anterior side, the middle femora often with a blackish patch near the apex on the front side; the middle tibize more or less dark along the front side, sometimes the front tibize with traces of the same, the hind tibiz dark brown along the anterior and posterior sides, most distinctly on the anterior side; the tarsal joints yellow with the apex brown, but the tarsi on the whole darker towards the apex, the last joint quite dark. The legs are clothed with short, pale hairs, and the tibiae and tarsi bear the ordinary bristles which are pale on the tibiz and blackish on the tarsi. The 14 Orthorrhapha brachycera. wings are considerably longer than in cylindrica; they are a little yellowish with brown veins; the branches of the cubital and discal veins are only slightly curved, the cubital and posterior cells are rather long; the peduncle of the second cubital cell from the medial Fig. 6. Wing of L. guttiventris. cross-vein is not longer than the peduncle of the second posterior cell; the fourth posterior cell has no peduncle. Halteres yellow, the knob may be slightly darkened. Female. With exception of the genital differences quite agreeing with the male. Length 8—13 mm. This species is at the first glance somewhat like the preceding but on closer examination it differs in many points; especially the wings and the colour of the legs are good characters, further the pubescence of the antennal style and the colouration of the abdomen. Zetterstedt |. c. records it as L. guttiventris Steger in litteris, so that the name is due to Steger. L. guttiventris is much less common in Denmark than the pre- ceding species; Hillergd, Grib Skov; on Funen at Odense, Veflinge and Faaborg and in Jutland in Greisdalen, at Frijsenborg, Silkeborg, Gjesso near Silkeborg, Hald, and Fusinga near Randers. My dates are 1%/6 to August. Geographical distribution: — The species is distributed in northern and middle Europe down into Austria; towards the north in southern Scandinavia; it seems everywhere to be more rare than cylindrica. 2. Dioetria Meig. Species of middle to somewhat large size and of a more or less slender shape; the colours are dark or black, and the species are very slightly hairy, almost bare. Head somewhat broader than thorax and much broader than high; it is short and the posterior surface is flat. The eyes are large, the epistoma rather broad without any distinct or at all events only a small callus; the epistomal beard not dense. Antenne inserted very high, near to each other on a more or less prominent tubercle. The frons on account of the high inser- Asilidae. 15 tion of the antenne is very small and the ocellar triangle is placed farther back than usual. Jowls small, slightly descending below the eyes. No ocellar bristles. Antenne four-jointed, the first joint longer than the second, the third the longest, the last is short and forms a blunt style; this last joint has a curious shape (Fig. 7), it is incised 7 Fig. 7. Antenna of D. atricapilla. >< 30. on the upper side about the middle or nearer to the base, and at the base of the incision a spine is inserted'. Eyes with the facets in front from the inner eye-margin outwards distinctly enlarged. On the posterior side of the head below the occipital foramen there is a membraneous part in which the stipites of the maxille lie; the clypeus forms a triangular part below in the middle of the epistoma. Pro- boscis is shorter than the head is high, directed horizontally forwards. Labium has a characteristic shape, it is thick at the base, the lower edge slightly arched in the apical third, the upper edge obliquely cut so that the apex is tapering; the cut part is beset with erect hairs; the basal part occupies about one third of the length of the labium ; — in D. Reinhardi the labium has a somewhat different shape, it is not pointed but truncate at the apex, and directed somewhat downwards, Genus Methylla Hans. (Nat. Tidsskr. 3, XIV, 145). — Labrum is triangular, short, of the length of the basal part of the labium; the maxille are longpointed, somewhat curved at the base, the maxillary palpi are indistinctly two-jointed, the basal joint short, the apical cylindrical. Hypopharynx is pointed, beset with erect hairs above over more than the apical half; maxille and hypopharynx are of the same length as labium. Thorax is rectangular, rather high, somewhat arched above; there are two presutural and some supraalar bristles; scutel- 1 The antenne in Dioctria are generally described as having a two-jointed style, thus in all five-jointed. Meigen, the founder of the genus, says about the antenne in Illig. Mag. 1803 and in Klass. eur. Zweigfl. 1804 that they are five- jointed, and the fourth joint he terms ,becherférmig*; in Syst. Beschr. II, 1820 he says that the antenne are three-jointed with a two-jointed style, the first joint of which is short; his figures which are rather small (Klass. Tab. XIII, Fig. 7—9; Syst. Beschr. II, Tab. 19, Fig. 17—18) show also a two-jointed style, yet the fig.17 on Tab. 19 in Syst. Beschr. only shows this very indistinctly. Meigen has evidently only used a lens and then the antenne may convey the impression that they have the style two-jointed, but under the microscope the above described structure and the fact that the style is undivided is clearly shown. 16 Orthorrhapha brachycera. lum without bristles. On the pleura there is a hairy stripe from the humerus to the wing-root, and from this one goes down to the front coxee, and another stretches down the hind margin of the mesopleura and then bends in an angle along the lower margin of the meso- pleuron; the hairy stripes are sometimes not fully developed; the metapleura have long hairs and especially a vertical row of long, thin hairs; hypopleura without long hairs. Metathorax is rather distinct, on the dorsal side it is short, on the ventral side there is a large meta- sternum, the space between the latter and the hind coxe is membranous. Abdomen is long and somewhat slender, generally more slender in the male than in the female; it consists of eight segments; the first dorsal segment is short; on the ventral side the first segment is also short and somewhat weakly chitinised; at the front of the second segment there is a small, transverse, chitinised plate on each side in the connecting membrane; the last dorsal segment is short, the last ventral segment is quite hidden and only represented by a very small chitinised plate, and in the female it is quite wanting so that there’ are only seven ventral segments, The male genitalia have a construc- tion very different from that found in Leptogaster; above there is a large, somewhat cupshaped plate, formed like a ninth dorsal segment, its hind margin is excised, the hind corners thus forming two pointed prominences; in the excision are two small, free styles; below this plate are the lower forceps, the arms of which are thick at the base, hook-formed and of very complicated shape, they are two-branched with an inner styliform branch; between and below the forceps is a ventral plate, forming, like the dorsal plate, as a ninth ventral segment. The female genitalia resemble in some points the male genitalia; above there is a short dorsal plate which bends down on the sides, forming the half of a ring; at its slightly excised hind margin there are, as in the male, two sinall styles; below there is a some- what clasp-shaped ventral plate (perhaps in reality the eighth ventral plate); at the apex, below the dorsal styles, there are two small styles, these four styles thus forming an ovipositor. Legs not strong, the hind legs the longest; the hind tibize often somewhat thickened at the apex, the hind metatarsi always large, sometimes considerably thickened. On the femora and tibiz there are some strong, more or less spine- like bristles of different strength in the different species and sometimes wanting on the anterior femora; apical spurs are also present; further there are some scattered long and thin hairs on the ventral side of the femora and hind tibize and finally there is a dense fringe of short hairs along the ventral side of the hind femora and tibize; the pubescence of the legs is specially dense on the ventral apical part Asilidae. 17 of the front and hind tibiz, less dense on the middle tibie. The tarsi have strong bristles, and are densely haired on the lower surface. The claws are strong; there are two pulvilli and a somewhat claw- shaped empodium. Wings somewhat long and broad, the subcostal cell open, the cubital vein forked, between the discal cell and the upper branch of the postical vein a postical cross-vein; five posterior cells, all open; the anal cell narrowly open, or closed. Alula developed but small. The alar squamula small, hairy at the margin especially towards the angulus. Of the developmental stages I have only examined the pupa; the larva is described by Beling (Arch. f. Naturgesch. Jahrg. 48, 1882, 195—99). It is cylindrical, white, finely striated longitudinally. The head is retractile, with some long, stiff hairs. The front part of the first thoracic segment densely beset with small tubercles. The apex of the body more or less pointed. The second, third and fourth segments each with two bristles, and some similar bristles on the last segment. Prothorax and the penultimate (or the marked off front part of the last) segment each with a pair of small spiracles. The pupa is yellowish white; the antennal sheaths are in front of the head, directed to each side across the eyes; they have a strong, downwards curved _ spine at the base and are sharply compressed, on the lower side forming three strong spines. About at the base of the wing-sheath there is an obliquely placed small, sharply compressed tubercle. The abdominal segments have each a transverse row of long, at the apex recurved, brown spines alternating with small spines on the dorsal side; the last segment has on the dorsal side two long spines, at the apex a pair of spines curved slightly upwards and a pair of small spines beneath these. On the ventral side each segment has a trans- verse row of long, thin, white hairs, the rows going over the lateral margins a little up on the dorsal side to the dorsal rows of spines. There is a pair of prothoracic and seven pairs of abdominal spiracles, all small. The sheaths of the legs reach to the hind margin of the second abdominal segment. The larve live in humous earth in woods and thickets; they hibernate and the transformation to pupa and escape of the imago take place in the following spring and summer. The species of Dioctria are somewhat characteristic by their more or less slender shape and the generally rather long and broad wings. They occur in grass and herbage on fields, meadows and fens and both in and outside woods. The prey of this genus is generally smaller insects, though the larger species as oelandica may also take somewhat large prey; I have taken D. rufipes with a Sphecodes as prey. Diptera Danica. II. y 18 Orthorrhapha brachycera. Poulton |. c. records from England the following examples of prey: D. oelandica: different Ichneumonids (Campoplex leptogaster Holmer., Cratichneumon annulator F.), Panorpa sp., a small moth (Adela?); D. atricapilla: Meloboris rufiventris Grav.; D. rufipes: Blennocampa assimilis Fln., Empis pennipes L., Sphegina clunipes Fin. Of the genus 38 species are known from the palearctic region 6 of which have hitherto been found in Denmark. Table of Species. 1. Wings more or less blackish or brownish .............+-.. 2. — Wings hyaline or slightly yellowish..........--.---++.+-:: 2. 2. Wings quite brown; legs for the most part ferrugineous 2. oelandica. — Wings hyaline at the apical ‘part; legs ‘black’... .. =. : 3. atricapilla. 3. The hairy stripes on the pleura not fully developed, only consisting of a stripe between the humerus and the wing-root; legs black to a great extent.............. 1. Reinhardt. — The hairy stripes on the pleura fully developed; the ante- PiOK, JegS WAL eke was bat oie ec tana et el ee e 4. 4. Abdomen black without yellow markings; tarsi more or fess * blackish’ Se 8 * ote DAE EE ets easter meet ieneen 5. — Abdomen with yellow, transverse bands; tarsi, at all events! the anterior, pale. .c-i eee eet hee ee 6. linearis. 5 Antennal tubercle highly prominent; hind legs black ex- cept the bases of femora and tibie................- 4, rufipes. Antennal tubercle small, hind legs generally less black 5. hyalipennis. 1. D. Reinhardi Wied. 1817. Wied, Zool. Mag. I, 2, 37. — 1847. Low, Linn. Entom. Il, 412, 2, g. — 1849. Zett. Dipt. Scand. VIII, 2972, 2—3. — 1862. Schmn. F. A. I, 120. — 1903. Kat. palaarkt. Dipt. II, 107. — 1820. D. cothurnata Meig. Syst. Beschr. II, 244, 6, 9. — 1847. Low, Linn. Entom. II, 420, 7, 2. — 1849. Zett. Dipt. Scand. VIII, 2973, 2—3. Male. Face below the antennz somewhat arched, shining, black, finely striated, lower down brass-yellow or greyish white pruinose; epistomal beard pale yellow or whitish. Proboscis and palpi black, the former with ferrugineous hairs at the apex, the latter with black hairs. Antennal tubercle small; front and vertex black; occiput black with black hairs, along the posterior eye margin yellow pruinose when seen in certain directions. Antenne black, the two first joints with black hairs, especially beneath; the first joint scarcely one and a half times as long as the second, the third as long as the two first together. Thorax black somewhat shining, the disc with two brownish pruinose stripes and between these with traces of a median stripe, at all events indicated by punctuation; scutellum rugose; the thoracic disc clothed with very short, black pubescence; the preesutural bristles yellow to Asilidae. 19 brown, the supraalar bristles short, generally black, sometimes brown. Pleura black, shining; the common hairy stripes wanting, only a small stripe between the humerus and the wing-root present; at the hind margin of the mesopleura some few hairs, the metapleura with long, whitish hairs. Abdomen black, shining, venter of the same colour, often with pale incisures. Abdomen sparingly clothed with short, black hairs, on the lateral margin of the first segment some longer, generally yellowish hairs; venter with somewhat long, pale hairs; genitalia with moderately long, brownish to blackish hairs. Legs with the cox black, femora pale yellow at the basal half, the apical half black, tibize black with the bases pale yellow, all tarsi black; the hind tibize slightly thickened at the apex, the hind metatarsi not distinctly thickened yet a little broader than the following joint. The coxz have long, whitish hairs on the out- side, otherwise the legs are clothed with short brownish or blackish hairs; the fringes on the hind legs are blackish brown. The long, thin hairs on the ventral side of the femora and hind tibie are yellowish or brownish. The strong spine-like bristles on the legs are yellow to brown. Wings slightly yellowish with dark brown veins. Halteres yellow to ferrugineous. Female. The female differs somewhat from the male; the black space below the antenne is smaller, the antennz have brownish hairs, the hairs on the palpi are yellow and those on the occiput yellow to brown. The pruinose stripes on the thoracic dise are broader and the middle stripe more distinct, the stripes are somewhat confluent posteriorly. The pubescence on thorax and abdomen is yellow. The femora are quite ferrugineous, paler at the base, sometimes the hind femora are brownish or blackish brown at the apical half; also the pubescence on the legs is paler. The wings are more yellowish, especially at the base. Length 11—13 mm. This species is easily distinguished by the absence of the common hairy stripes on the pleura. It is evident that Low l.c. 412 has had only the male and under cothurnata only the female; Zetterstedt has probably also described only the male under Reinhardi and the female under cothurnata; he says only about the sexual differences that the abdomen in the male is a little narrower than in the female, and this is not a safe distinction. D. Reinhardi cannot be termed rare in Denmark, but it is hitherto only known from Funen and Jutland; Funen at Faaborg and Jutland in Greisdalen at Vejle, at Frijsenborg, between Holstebro and Struer and at Seeby; the dates are in July and August. Q* 90 Orthorrhapha brachycera. Geographical distribution: — Europe down into France; towards the north to northern Finland but here rare. 2. D. oelandica L. 1761. Linn. Fn. suec. 1916 (Asilus) — 1842. Zett. Dipt. Scand. I, 182, 1 et 1849. VIII, 2972, 1. — 1847. Léw, Linn. Entom. II, 410, 1. — 1862. Schin. F. A. I, 121. — 1903. Kat. paléarkt. Dipt. II, 106. Male. Face with brassy yellow pruinosity, the middle line and the part below the antenne black; antennal tubercle of middle size, it and the vertex black; epistomal beard yellow; jowls, proboscis and palpi black; proboscis with yellow hairs on the apical part, palpi with black hairs. Occiput black with black bristles, along the hinder eye- margin, especially below, greyish yellow pruinose, which is only seen in certain directions. Antenne black, the two first joints with black hairs; the first joint about twice as long as the second, the third slightly shorter than the two first together. Thorax black, shining; the disc with two faint, narrow, distant stripes of a greyish brown pruinosity; otherwise the disc clothed with short, blackish hairs; the preesutural bristles black or brown, the supraalar bristles black. The hairy stripes on the pleura distinct, dark yellow to greyish yellow; there are some longer yellow hairs above the front coxe and some darker ones at the hind margin of the mesopleura; the metapleura have long, yellow bristles. Abdomen black, shining; venter black, only the genitalia are partly ferrugineous beneath. Abdomen is spar- ingly clothed with short, blackish pubescence; at the lateral margins of the first segment there are longer, yellow hairs. Venter with longer hairs; the genitalia have somewhat long, ferrugineous hairs. Legs red- dish yellow, the coxe black, the hind trochanters generally brownish to blackish; all tibiae brownish black towards the tips and the hind metatarsi likewise brownish black; the hind tibize are somewhat thick- ened at the apex, the hind metatarsi not thickened. The coxe are greyish pruinose on the outer side and clothed with long, greyish hairs, for the rest the legs are short yellow pubescent; the fringe on the hind femora is whitish brown, that on the tibize pale brown; the long, thin hairs on the ventral side of the femora and hind tibie are whitish or yellowish. The strong, spine-like bristles on the legs are yellow to light brownish. Wings strongly brownish black fumigated, most at the basal part and along the anterior margin; often a clearer middle part in the posterior cells. Veins dark brown. The surface of the wing with a bluish violet reflex. Halteres yellowish to light — brownish. Asilidae. 91 Female. Abdomen a little broader than in the male, for the rest quite agreeing with it. Length 13—17 mm. I possess a female specimen of this species with nearly quite pellucid wings, these being only slightly brownish at the anterior margin. D. oelandica is rather common in Denmark though it does not belong to our most common species; Charlottenlund, Frederiksdal, Brede, Hillerad, Faxe, Thureby south of Kége; in Jutland in Nérholm Skov near Varde, at Silkeborg and at Stévring near Randers. My dates are 79/5—1"/z. Geographical distribution: — Most parts of Europe down into France; towards the north to middle Scandinavia. 3. D. atricapilla Meig. 1904. Meig. Klass. eur. Zweifl. Ins. I, 256, 4. — 1847. Léw, Linn. Entom. I, 413, 3. — 1862. Schin. F. A. I, 120. — 1903. Kat. palaarkt. Dipt. Il, 103. — 1842. D. fuscipennis Zett. Dipt. Scand. I, 184, 4. Male. Eyes in the living specimens of a beautiful blue somewhat metallic colour. Face dark brown pruinose, somewhat silky, below the antennz shining black; epistomal beard not dense, black. Pro- boscis and palpi black, the first with ferrugineous hairs at the apex, the latter with black hairs. Antennal tubercle moderately prominent. Frons and vertex shining black; occiput black with black hairs, silvergrey pruinose along the posterior eye-margin when seen in certain directions. Antenne black, the first two joints with black hairs; first joint about one and a half times as long as the second, the third as long as the two first together. Thorax black, the dise densely punctate and hence only slightly shining; in the middle on the front half two somewhat elevated, glabrous stripes and on each side of them a very faint, narrow, brownish hoary stripe; the disc otherwise with short, black pubescence. Presutural and supraalar bristles black. Scutellum rugose. Pleura black shining; the hairy stripes fully developed, brown; some longer hairs at the hind margin of the mesopleura; the long hairs on the metapleura black. Abdomen black, the hind margins of the segments narrowly pale; venter coloured in the same way; abdomen sparingly clothed with short, black pubescence, on the lateral margin of the first segment long, black hairs. Genitalia with rather short, partly pale hairs. Legs somewhat strong, entirely black; the hind tibize only slightly thickened at the apex, the hind metatarsi almost not thickened; coxe slightly brownish pruinose on the outer side and clothed with long, brownish 99 Orthorrhapha brachycera. black hairs which are nearly absent on the hind coxe. The short pubescence on the legs is blackish to brownish, but the fringe on the ventral side of the hind femora is whitish, that on the hind tibize brownish white; as usual there are some long, thin hairs on the legs; the strong spine-like bristles are black. Wings relatively short, shorter Fig. 8. Wing of D. atricapilla. than in the other species; they are blackish brown on the basal half, yellowish at the apex; veins dark brown; the anal cell closed or very narrowly open. Halteres yellow to ferrugineous. Female. This differs somewhat from the male; the eyes in the living specimens are bluish green. The face is whitish or brassy pruinose; the epistomal beard and the hairs on the palpi yellow, the hairs on the occiput brown or blackish brown. Thorax with three more or less distinct hairy stripes, uniting posteriorly and disappearing in the yellowish pubescence of the thorax; preesutural and supraalar bristles yellow; the hairy stripes on the pleura yellow. The pubescense on the abdomen is blackish but the long hairs on the first segment yellow. The hairs on the coxe are greyish and the fringes on the hind legs paler than in the male; the strong bristles on the legs are brownish to yellow. The wings are relatively a little longer than in the male, they are paler, of a yellowish colour, somewhat brownish at the base especially towards the anterior margin. — Varieties of the female with paler legs I have not seen from Denmark. Length 9—11 mm. This species is easily distinguished by its dark legs and the dark, in the male rather short wings; also the somewhat strong legs are characteristic. D. atricapilla is rather common in Denmark; it occurs in the herbage and high grass in fens, meadows and fields, sometimes in great numbers; Damhusmosen, Ordrup Mose, Ermelund, Dyrehaven, Hillergd, the small wood Tyvekrogen, Tisvilde, Boserup near Roskilde and at Skelskor; on Funen at Faaborg and at Lundeborg on the eastern coast; in Jutland at Vejle and Silkeborg. My dates are 7°/s—*®/7, Geographical distribution: — The whole of Europe; towards the north to southern Scandinavia where its northern limit seems to lie. Asilidae. 93 4. D. rufipes De Geer. 1776. De Geer, Ins. VI, 97, 6, Tab. XIV, Fig. 2. (Asilus) — 1842. Zett. Dipt. Scand. I, 183, 2, et 1849, VIII, 2972, 2, et 1855, XII, 4580, 2. — 1847. Low, Linn. Entom. II, 425, 9. — 1862. Schin. F. A. I, 121. — 1903. Kat. paldarkt. Dipt. Il, 107. Male. [Eyes in the living specimens greenish, slightly metallic. Face brassy to whitish pruinose, shining black just below the antenne; epistomal beard yellowish. Proboscis and palpi black with yellow hairs. Antennal tubercle highly prominent; frons and vertex black; occiput black with dark yellow hairs which are paler downwards, it is yellow pruinose along the posterior eye-margin when seen in certain directions. Antenne black, the two first joints with black hairs; the first joint twice as long as the second, the third slightly shorter than the two first together. Thorax black, somewhat shining, with three - not very distinct narrow, yellow hairy stripes uniting posteriorly and confluent with the yellow pubescence on the disc; the median stripe most narrow and not rarely quite indistinct. Praesu- tural and supraalar bristles brownish or yellow. Pleura black, shining, the hairy stripes fully developed, yellowish to greyish; longer yellowish or greyish hairs are found above the front coxee and at the hind margin of the mesopleura; the long hairs on metapleura yellow. Scutellum rugose with somewhat longish, yellow pube- scence. Abdomen black with short, yellowish pubescence, which is slightly longer on the venter; at the lateral margins of the first segment there are longer hairs; genitalia with longish, yellowish hairs, especially beneath. Legs with the coxe black, greyish or whitish pruinose on the outer side and with long, whitish hairs; anterior Jegs ferrugineous, the outermost apex of the tibie and the tarsi except the base of the metatarsus blackish brown; often a small black patch at the apex of the femora on the upper side; hind legs black, the base and apex of the femora and the base of the tibia very narrowly ferrugineous. The apex of the hind tibiz only slightly thickened, and the hind metatarsi not thickened, only very slightly broader than the second joint. Pubescence on the legs yellowish, the fringe on the hind femora whitish, that on the tibize whitish brown; the usual long, thin hairs present; the stronger, spine-like bristles brownish or yellow, those on the hind tibize sometimes black; they are very small on the anterior al Fig. 9. Head of D. rufipes. D4. Orthorrhapha brachycera. femora. Wings hyaline, slightly yellowish with blackish veins. Halteres yellow. Female. Resembling the male but the pubescence on the thorax slightly shorter and hence the stripes, especially the two lateral, gene- rally more distinct; the abdomen somewhat broader. Length 11,5—14,5 mm. This species is distinguished especially by the highly prominent antennal tubercle, and the colouring of the legs also distinguishes it from the other Danish species. D. rufipes is a common species in Denmark; Ordrup Mose, Erme- lund, Dyrehaven, Brede, @rholm, Birkergd, Hillergd, the small wood _ Tyvekrog, at Boserup near Roskilde and Svenstrup between Roskilde and Ringsted; in Jutland at Silkeborg and Dollerup. My dates are 29/5_29/s Tt occurs in the herbage and high grass on meadows and fields and generally gregarious. Geographical distribution: — Northern and middle Europe down into France; towards the north to middle Scandinavia. 5. D. hyalipennis Fabr. 1794. Fabr. Ent. Syst. IV, 388, 54 (Asélws) (nec. auct.) — Dioctria flavipes: 1804. Meig. Klass. eur. Zweifl. Ins. 1, 257, 6. — 1842. Zett. Dipt. Scand. I, 183, 3 et 1849. VIII, 2974, 3 et 1855. XII, 4580, 3. — 1847. Léw, Linn. Entom. II, 426, 10. — 1862. Schin. F. A. I, 122. — 1908. Kat. palaarkt. Dipt. Il, 104. Male. Eyes in the living specimens greenish, slightly metallic. Face whitish pruinose, a little more yellowish above; just below the antenne black; epistomal beard not dense, whitish. Proboscis and palpi black with yellow hairs. Antennal tubercle slightly prominent; frons and vertex black. Occiput black with brow- nish, downwards more yellowish, on the jowls whitish hairs; it is whitish pruinose along the posterior eye-margin when seen in certain direc- tions, the whitish colour disappearing above. Antenne black, the two first joints with black hairs; the first joint scarcely one and a half times as long as the second, the third as long as the two first together. Thorax black, slightly shining, AI punctate, with three faint, yellow hairy stripes Fig. 10. Head of D.hyali- on the disc, disappearing posteriorly; the disc pennis. otherwise with short, yellow pubescence; the two bare, shining stripes between the hairy stripes somewhat distinct. The preesutural and supraalar bristles brownish or yellow. Pleura black, Asilidae. 95 shining, the hairy stripes fully developed, broad aud distinct, greyish white; the hairs at the hind margin of the mesopleura and the long hairs on the metapleura whitish. Scutellum rugose with yellow pube- scence. Abdomen black, sparingly clothed with short, yellow pube- scence, at the lateral margin of the first segment longer hairs. Venter black, generally with somewhat pale incisures and slightly longer pube- scence. Genitalia with longish, yellowish hairs. Legs yellow, the cox black, whitish pruinose on the outer side and with long, white hairs which are nearly wanting on the hind coxe ; anterior tibize blackish brown at the apex, and the tarsi, with exception of the base of the metatarsus, likewise blackish brown; anterior femora sometimes with a blackish patch above at the apex; the hind femora may be quite ferrugineous, but generally they are black above in the middle and the black colour may be extended nearly along the whole upper side and going downwards - so that it reaches round the femora to a greater or lesser extent; hind tibie black with a larger or smaller basal part yellow; the hind tarsi quite black. The hind tibize are very distinctly thickened at the apex, and the hind metatarsi are somewhat thickened though only slightly broader than the following joint. The pubescence on the legs yellowish, the fringe on the hind femora whitish, that on the tibize pale brownish; the scattered long, thin hairs white; the stronger bristles which in this species are long and rather weak are brownish yellow, they are wanting on the anterior femora. Wings slightly yellowish, a little more at the base towards the anterior margin; the veins blackish brown. Halteres yellow. Female. Quite agreeing with the male, only the abdomen is a little broader. Length 9—12,5 mm.; the species is smaller than rufipes, but large females may exceed small males of rufipes in size. The pupa has a length of 11—12 mm. Remarks. ‘This species is nearly related to rufipes, but it may easily be distinguished by the small antennal tubercle and the colour of the hind legs. The species has hitherto gone under the name of flavipes Meig. Meigen says (Syst. Beschr. VI, 330) that his D. gracilis is identical with D. hyalipennis in the collection of Fabricius. This may be so, but as already Léw has stated (I. c. 428), this does not make gracilis Meig. identical with hyalipennis F., since Fabricius described his hyalipennis after Danish specimens in the collection of Lund. L6w continues: ,Fabricius beschrieb seine Dioctr. hyali- pennis nach dinischen, in Lund’schen Museum vielleicht noch auf- zufindenden Exemplaren; sie kénnen nicht wohl einer andern Art als der in Danemark nicht seltenen Dioctr. flavipes angehért haben; 26 Orthorrhapha brachycera. mégen uns unsere Kopenhagener Nachbarn dartiber Auskunft geben; fallt diese, wie ich zu glauben Grund habe, aus, so wird die Art kiinftig den Fabricius’chen Namen wieder erhalten miissen.“ This was written in 1847 and first now, sixty years later, Léw’s opinion finds its confirmation, and I feel some pleasure in confirming it. In the collection of Lund two specimens are found, no doubt the typical specimens, and they are both identical with flavipes Meig. This species thus gets the name hyalipennis F., and the species now named so gets again the name gracilis given to it by Meigen. As already stated by Léw gracilis Meig. is moreover a more southern species, and it is not found in Denmark, while hyalipennis F. is common here. D. hyalipennis bears some resemblance to gracilis, but the latter has the hind metatarsi strongly thickened, and also the colour of the hind legs differs somewhat. D. hyalipennis is perhaps still more common than rufipes, and it occurs together with this in the same localities often in great numbers; Ermelund, Dyrehaven, Lyngby Mose, Geel Skov, @rholm, Hillered, Tyvekrogen, Preestevang, Tisvilde; on Funen at Lundeborg on the eastern coast, at Odense, Veflinge, Hofmansgave, Faaborg, Middelfart and on Feng; in Jutland at Horsens, Frijsenborg, Silkeborg, Funder and Stovring near Randers. My dates are 17/e—1/s; it thus seems to be a less early species than rufipes. Mr. Stamm told me that he has once taken this species with an Arachnid as prey. The pupa was found in Geel Skov in the earth on °/6; it developed on **/¢. Geographical distribution: — Northern and middle Europe down into France and Dalmatia; towards the north to middle Scandinavia. 6. D. linearis Fabr. 1787. Fabr. Mantiss. II, 361, 38 (Asilus) et 1794. Ent. syst. IV, 389, 60 (Asilus) et 1805. Syst. Antl 151, 10. — 1847. Léw, Linn. entom. II, 432,12. — 1862. Schin. F. A. I, 122. — 1903. Kat. paldarkt. Dipt. II, 106. — 1849. D. cingulata Zett. Dipt. Scand. VIII, 2975, 3—4. Male. Face whitish pruinose, a small black spot just below the antennee; epistomal beard not dense, white. Proboscis and palpi black with yellow hairs. Antennal tubercle moderately prominent; frons and vertex black. Occiput black with the hairs yellow and thinner than in the other species, it is whitish pruinose along the hinder eye- margin when seen in certain directions. Antenne black, the hairs on the two first joints brown; first joint nearly twice as long as the second, the third not quite as long as the two first together. Thorax black, shining, with slight yellow pubescence; three very distinct yellow or bronze coloured stripes on the disc, the middle one very narrow, ee a Asilidae. OT the lateral broadest in front; a similar pruinose stripe on each side at the margin; the pruinosity leaves in the middle two shining black lines not reaching the scutellum, and on each side a shining black space connected in front with the likewise shining humerus; the hume- ral and postalar calli generally more or less rufous. Scutellum with yellow hairs, especially at the margin. The presutural and supraalar bristles yellow. Pleura shining black, the hairy stripes fully developed and very distinct, yellowish, downwards more whitish; the hairs at the hind margin of the mesopleura and the long hairs on the meta- pleura yellowish white. Abdomen shining black, from the third seg- ment with yellow hind margins to the segments; at the lateral front margins of the third, fourth and fifth segment there are yellow spots which on the fourth and fifth and sometimes also on the third seg- ment unite to a band which is confluent with the yellow hind margin of the preceding segment; thus the abdomen gets yellow transverse bands at the incisures, which bands are broad between the third and fourth and the fourth and fifth segment. Venter similarly coloured. Abdomen is sparingly clothed with short, yellow pubescence, which is slightly longer on the venter; at the lateral margins of the anterior segments there are long hairs. Genitalia partly yellow with moderately long yellow hairs. Legs pale yellow; coxze whitish pruinose on the outer side and with long, whitish hairs which are nearly wanting on the hind coxee; the anterior tarsi with a brown spot on the lower side of each joint, on the metatarsus the spot lying at the apex; the hind femora with a blackish brown spot above in the middle, this spot may be more or less extended, sometimes going all round the femora; also the outermost tip of the femora is brown; the hind tibize brownish except a more or less extended basal part, sometimes the brown colour is restricted to the outer and inner side; the hind tarsi with brown spots below and often brownish above except the base of the metatarsus. The hind tibiz very distinctly thickened at the apex, but the hind metatarsi cannot be termed thickened. The legs have a short, pale yellowish pubescence; the fringes on the hind legs are whitish; the usual long, thin hairs present; the stronger spine-like bristles are in this species very long and thin, of yellow colour; they are wanting on the anterior femora. Wings very slightly yellowish with brownish veins. Halteres pale yellow. Female. Quite agreeing with the male, only the abdomen is broader and the yellow bands generally narrower. Length 9—11 mm. This species which is the smallest (it is not shorter but much more 98 Orthorrhapha brachycera. slender than atricapilla) of the Danish species is easily distinguished by the colouring of thorax and abdomen and by the very pale legs. D. linearis is not common in Denmark; Svenstrup between Ros- kilde and Ringsted (H. I. Hansen), Faxe (Schlick), Tureby (Lovendal) ; on Lolland at Maribo (Schlick); on Funen at Odense and Hofmans- gave (H. I. Hansen); in Jutland at Horsens (O. G. Jensen) and at Stov- ring near Randers (A. Petersen). My dates are 7#/6—1°/s. Schiner says that this species does not sit in the grass but on leaves. Geographical distribution: — Middle Europe down into Austria; its northern limit lies in southern Sweden and there it is rare, only one specimen having been taken. 3. Dasypogon Meig. Species of rather large size and somewhat robust shape. Colour dark, generally blackish, more or less with pale designs. Head about as broad as thorax or slightly narrower, broader than high, short, and flat behind. Face rather broad, considerably arched but without any distinct callus; the epistomal beard reaches to the middle and is from here produced to the antenne by shorter hairs. Antenne inserted near to each other, considerably above the middle. Jowls slightly descending below the eyes. Two ocellar bristles present. The antenneze have the two first joints short and of nearly equal length, the third joint is long and somewhat compressed, it bears at the apex a small one-jointed or at all events indistinctly two-jointed style with a bristle- shaped apex. The eyes have the facets on the front part slightly larger than the others. There is a distinctly bounded clypeus at the lower end of epistoma. Proboscis is slightly shorter than the head is high, it is directed downwards and a little forwards; labium is curved slightly downwards towards the apex and is somewhat pointed, slightly hairy at the end; the basal part is slightly shorter than the apical part. Labrum is as long as the basal part of labium. The maxille are straight, not especially strong, with a little tooth at some distance from the apex; the maxillary palpi are indistinctly two-jointed. Hypopharynx is thin, beset with erect hairs over somewhat more than the apical half; maxillee and hypopharynx are of the same length as the labium. Thorax is rectangular, somewhat oval, high and distinctly arched above; there is a group of presutural, of supraalar and of postalar bristles, the latter on the postalar callus. In front of the scutellum the thoracic disc has two rows of about five dorsocentral bristles (preescutellar bristles Ost. Sack.). Scutellum without bristles. On the metapleura a row of long, thin hairs; on the hypopleura none. The Asilidae. 99 metathorax is rather distinct; on the ventral side there is a large metasternum, the space between it and the hind coxe is mem- branous. Abdomen long, somewhat flat, consisting of eight segments; the first dorsal segment is short, the second the longest; on the ven- tral side the first segment is very small, the following of nearly equal length. The male genitalia I have only been able to examine in situ; so far as I could ascertain there is an upper, triangular plate, following after the eighth segment; below and to each side of this plate there is a large pair of forceps, each arm of which has an outer, rounded branch, and an inner branch which is longer than the outer and forked at the end, the upper arm of the fork being directed upwards, the lower Fig. 11. D. teutonus, front leg. <8. downwards; I think this forceps answers to the lower forceps; below there is a long ventral lamella terminating in a pair of lamelliform styles. The female abdomen terminates in a pair of small lamelle. Legs not especially strong; front tibie on the ventral side produced in a strong spine, the apex of which is bent strongly outwards; the base of the front metatarsi has an obliquely cut part turned towards the spine and this part and the inside of the spine are both serrated (Fig. 11). The legs have some strong, spine-like bristles which are short on the femora, longer on the tibiw; the posterior tibiz have apical spurs. The tarsi have strong spine-like bristles at the ends of the joints, the metatarsi over the whole length. Front and hind tibize have a short dense pubescence on the ventral side apically, it is most 30 Orthorrhapha brachycera. extended on the front tibiz; the middle tibize have a similar pube- scence but only just at the apex; the tarsi show the same dense pubescence on the lower surface. The claws are somewhat strong; there are two pulvilli and a bristle-shaped empodium which is thick at the base but very thin outwards. Wings with the subcostal cell open, the cubital vein forked; a postical cross-vein between the discal cell and the upper branch of the postical vein; there are five posterior cells, these and the anal cell all open. Alula well developed. Alar squamula hairy at the margin. So far as I am aware the larval and pupal stages of this genus are not known. The species of Dasypogon are somewhat robust and heavy and with a somewhat slow flight. They are recorded especially to frequent sunny, dry localities often sitting on the ground or on leaves but not on stems. Of the genus 5 species are known from the palearctic region; one has hitherto been found in Denmark. 1. D. teutonus L. 1758. Linn. Syst. Nat. Ed. X (Asdlus). — 1847. Low, Linn. Entom. II, 448,5. — 1862. Schin. F. A. I, 124. — 1903. Kat. palaarkt. Dipt. II. 108. Male. Face bright yellow pruinose; epistomal beard yellow. Proboscis and palpi black, the latter with black hairs. The pruinosity of the face proceeding up above the antenne on each side and thus the frons yellow on the sides but black in the middle. Vertex black. On the sides of the frons there are black hairs, and there are two black ocellar bristles. Occiput black with black hairs. Antenne fer- rugineous, the apex of the style darkened; the hairs on the two first joints and on -the upper side of the third joint black. Thorax dull, dark brownish above, a broad marginal stripe golden yellowish prui- nose, just in front of the scutellum the stripe is greyish; in the middle of the disc there are two closely placed, faint dark stripes ‘uniting behind; when the thorax is viewed quite from in front other yellow reflections are seen. Scutellum black. Thorax is very sparingly clothed with short, blackish hairs; the bristles of the different categories are black. Pleura brownish black, slightly shining, with a small spot above the front coxa, a large middle spot and the hinder part of the hypopleura golden yellow pruinose. The long hairs on the metapleura yellow or black. Abdomen black, somewhat shining, very short and sparingly black pubescent; at the lateral margins of the first seg- ment long, ferrugineous hairs; at the hind margins of the second to sixth segments a grey pruinose spot on each side, smallest on the Asilidae. 31 second and sixth segment. Venter black with pale incisures and, seen from in front, with greyish pruinose hind margins of the segments; it is sparingly clothed with a little longer hairs than above which are yellow in front but darker backwards. Legs with the coxz brownish black, at the outer side yellow pruinose and with long, yellow hairs; femora and tibize ferrugineous, the femora with a black spot at the outermost apex; the front tibiz darkened towards the apex or to near the base; all tarsi black. The legs sparingly clothed with short, black hairs, the dense hairs on the apical ventral side of the tibiz Fig. 12. Wing of D. teutonus. and beneath the tarsi brownish; the stronger spine-like bristles black. Wings yellow at the basal part, at the apex somewhat brownish, especially along the veins; the veins yellow at the base, brownish outwards. Halteres yellow. Female. With exception of the genital differences chiefly agreeing with the male; the wings yellow at the base, then a more hyaline part follows, the apex is slightly greyish. Length 17—19 mm. D. teutonus is very rare in Denmark, only two specimens have been found, both females, one with the locality North Sealand (Gosch), the other at Fuglevad. Geographical distribution: — Middle and southern Europe; its northern limit lies in Denmark and it is not known from Scandinavia nor from Britain. 4. Leptarthrus Steph. (1829). Isopogon Liw, 1847. Species of middle size and blackish colour. Head slightly broader than the thorax and much broader than high; it is short and it is flat behind. The face is broad, somewhat arched, but without any distinct callus. The epistomal beard somewhat woolly and evenly extended over the whole face. Antenne inserted near to each other somewhat above the middle. Jowls small, very slightly descending below the eyes. No ocellar bristles. Antenne consisting of five joints, the two first short, of equal length, the third long, somewhat compressed, 32 Orthorrhapha brachycera. bearing at the apex the two last joints which form a somewhat long, distinctly two-jointed style the first joint of which is short, the other long, terminating in a small bristly part. The eyes have the facets in front, on a small space in the middle up to the margin, con- siderably larger than the others. On the posterior side of the head Fig. 13. Antenne of Z. brevirostris. >< 40. below the occipital foramen there is a membranous part with the united stipites of the maxillee. Clypeus is distinctly marked off in the middle of the epistoma below, it is rounded upwards and strongly | impressed. Proboscis is short, about half as long as the head is high; it is directed obliquely downwards and forwards; the basal part of labium not as long as the apical; labium truncate at the apex and here faintly hairy; labrum short, as long as the basal part of labium; the maxillze are truncate at the apex and curved distinctly downwards, the maxillary palpi are short, two-jointed with a small, upwardly bent apical joint; hypopharynx pointed, beset with erect hairs over somewhat more than the apical half. Maxille and hypo- pharynx are about the length of the labium. Thorax is rectangular, high and distinctly arched above; there are no bristles on the disc but it is clothed with more or less long, somewhat woolly hairs. Scutellum without bristles. On the metapleura there are long, like- wise woolly hairs; hypopleura without long hairs. Methathorax is distinct, there is a large metasternum, the space between it and the hind coxee is membranous. Abdomen consists of eight segments; the first dorsal segment is rather long, longer than in the preceding genera and only somewhat shorter than the second; the first ventral segment is short; in the male the seventh segment is small and the eighth is quite hidden, forming a small annulus at the base of the genitalia. The male genitalia are rather small; they consist of the upper for- ceps with short and thick arms which seem to be united at the base; between the somewhat diverging apices there are two small lamelle, answering to the median dorsal lamella; below the upper forceps are the lower forceps the arms of which are thick at the base, they are as usual two-branched at the apex and very complicated; at the base of the lower forceps there is a roundly triangular median ventral lamella. In the female the fifth abdominal segment is somewhat Asilidae. ao pointed, the last three segments are narrow and form, together with a small apical appendage, an ovipositor. Legs somewhat strong; the front tibize have at the base on the ventral side a small spine which is curved strongly outwards; the femora are = clothed with long hairs on the ventral side, a . the front and especially the middle tibiz have many long, thin bristles; the tibie have on the dorsal side some stronger bristles; the front tibize have long, the posterior tibize short apical spurs which on the middle tibiz are very thick, resembling a pair of spines; the J yf tarsi have moderately Fe long bristles; the front and hind tibiz have a _ dense pubescence on (« the ventral side, it is Fig. 14. L. brevirostris longest on the hind front leg. >< 10, tibiz; the tarsi are densely pubescent on the lower surface. The hind metatarsus is in most species somewhat thickened, in one species (brevi- rostris) itis in the male very long and sharply com- pressed. There are two pulvilli and a small, bristle- shaped empodium. Wings with the subcostal cell open, the cubital vein forked; between the discal cell and the upper branch of the postical vein a postical cross-vein; there are five posterior cells, the fourth is somewhat narrowed at the margin; the anal cell is closed a little before the margin. Alula is small. The alar squamula small, distinctly hairy at the margin. The larval and pupal stages of this genus are, so far as I am aware, not known. The species of Leptarthrus seem to some degree to be mountain forms. Poulton |.c.records from England the cap- ture of L. brevirostris with Meteorus obfuscatus Nees as prey. Of the genus 3 species occur in the palearctic region; only one has hitherto been found in Denmark. Fig. 15. ZL. brevirostris middle leg. >< 15. 1. L. brevirostris Meig. Fig. 16. | 1804. Meig. Klass. eur. Zweifl. 1,255, Tab. XIII, Fig. 16, LZ. brevirostris, 17 (Dioctria) et 1820. Syst. Beschr. Il, 273,24 (Dasypogon) hind leg. > 15. Diptera Danica. II. 3 34 Orthorrapha brachycera. — 1842. Zett. Dipt. Scand. I, 179, 4 (Dasypogon). — 1857. Low. Linn. Entom. II, 493,28 (Isopogon). — 1862. Schin. F. A. I, 131 (lsopogon). — 1903. Kat. paldarkt. Dipt. II, 113. Fig. 17. Wing of L. brevirostris. Male. Face distinctly arched, only slightly greyish just at the eye- margins; epistomal beard varying in colour from black with whitish ends of the hairs to quite whitish. Proboscis and palpi black. Frons and vertex black with brownish hairs. Occiput grey with whitish hairs. Antenne black. Thorax black, somewhat shining, coarsely punctate; two narrow median lines glabrous. The disc clothed with long hairs which are black or brownish in front, paler to whitish backwards. Scutellum with white hairs. Pleura black, somewhat greyish pruinose; they are more distinctly hairy on a spot below the humerus, on the hind part of the mesopleura, on the pteropleura, the upper part of the sternopleura and on the hypopleura; there are long, white hairs on the metapieura and on the middle of the mesopleura. Abdomen black, coarsely punctate, clothed with somewhat short, depressed, silver-white pubescence; along the sides the hairs are longer and hang downwards like a fringe. Venter black, shining, with long, white hairs; on the last two segments there is a tuft of brownish to blackish hairs. — All the long hairs on the body are woolly, giving to the fly a somewhat woolly appearance. — Legs black; coxe slightly pruinose, on the outer side with long, whitish hairs; tibize ferrugineous on the basal half, the front tibia to a less extent and often quite black. The hind tibiz distinctly thickened from just below the base to the apex; the hind metatarsi as long as the tibiae and sharply compressed with a short fringe on each margin (Fig. 16). The femora clothed with short, blackish hairs above, and with long, whitish hairs on the posterior side and below; the hairs on the tibie are for the most part whitish, the dense pubescence on the ventral side of the hind tibiz is yellowish to white; there are some long, thin, white hairs, especially on the middle tibie. The somewhat stronger bristles are chiefly black but may be reddish on the ferrugineous parts of the legs. Wings slightly brownish at base and apex but hyaline in the middle; the fumigation is chiefly caused by broad seams at the veins; the veins are brown. Halteres yellow. Asilidae. 35 Female. Epistomal beard blackish brown to deep yellow. The hairs on the thoracic disc generally more yellow than in the male, often deep yellow on the hind part. Abdomen slightly broader and the pubescence whitish to yellowish; there is a whitish grey, pruinose spot on each side at the hind margins of the segments. The hairs on the legs are almost all whitish to yellow, and also the stronger bristles are chiefly yellow. On the whole the clothing varies in colour from being somewhat like that in the male through different variations to nearly all deep yellow. The hind metatarsi are of common form, as long as the other four joints together, slightly thickened. Wings more or less brownish at the basal part, but not, or very slightly, at the apex. Length 7—10 mm. This species is easily distinguished by its whole appearance; the curiously shaped hind metatarsi in the male at once prevent any mistake. ; L. brevirostris is rather rare in Denmark and has only been caught on very few occasions: Ermelund (Schlick), Nordskoven at Jeegerspris (the author), Skelskor (H. J. Hansen) and at Tuel So near Sore (Schigdte), in the latter locality in great numbers. The dates are in June. Geographical distribution: — Northern and middle Europe. Its northern limit lies in middle Sweden. After Schiner it chiefly occurs in the mountains. 5. Lasiopogon Low. Species of middle size and blackish or greyish colour. Head short, broader than thorax and broader than high, flat behind. Face moderately broad, it is narrowest just below the antennz and gets broader downwards; there is a considerable callus, reaching near to the antenne; the epistomal beard quite covers the callus. Antennz Fig. 18. Antenna of L. cinctus. >< 45. inserted near to each other, only slightly above the middle. Jowls slightly descending below the eyes, No distinct ocellar bristles. An- tenne consisting of four (five?) joints; the first two short, the third 3* 36 Orthorrhapha brachycera. longer, somewhat compressed, with a short one-jointed or very indi- stinctly two-jointed style, at the end with.a bristle-shaped apex. The eyes have the facets in front, at the margin, only very slightly enlarged. Clypeus is distinctly marked off below in the middle of the epistoma. There is a membranous part on the back of the head below the occipital foramen in which lie the united stipites of the maxillee. Pro- boscis short, directed downwards and a little forwards; it is truncate at the apex. The basal part of the labium occupies somewhat more than the half of the whole length; labrum short, scarcely as long as the basal part of the labium. The maxillze are slightly curved towards the apex, the maxillary palpi short, cylindrical, one-jointed. Hypopharynx pointed, beset with erect hairs over somewhat more than the apical half. Maxille and hypopharynx as long as labium. Thorax rectangular, high and arched above; there are groups of preesutural, supraalar and postalar bristles; besides, there are two rows of rather distinct dorsocentral bristles which are longest and most distinct on the hinder part. The scutellum has long marginal bristles. The mesopleura have a vertical row of long and strong bristles; hypopleura without bristles or hairs. The metathorax is developed, but small, on the ventral side there is a rather short metasternum, the space between it and the hind coxe is membranous. The abdomen consists of eight segments, the first dorsal segment is short, the second the longest; on the ventral side the first segment is likewise short, and it is nearly divided into two as it has a transverse membranous part in the middle, so that the two chitinized parts are only connected at the side margins. In the male the eighth segment is a small, quite hidden annulus at the base of the genitalia. The male genitalia are somewhat swollen, consisting of the upper forceps the arms of which are thick, curved towards each other at the apices and with a tooth on the upper inner margin at some distance from the apex; between the arms lies the dorsal median lamella, it is paired but connected in the middle by a membrane. Below the upper forceps lies the lower forceps, it is shorter than the upper with the arms very thick at the base and here broadly connected; they are as usual of very complicated shape, with spines inwardly. Quite hidden in the eighth segment there is a ventral piece which is paired, or widened on each side, it answers perhaps to the ventral median lamella. — I must here mention a curious fact which may easily cause a misunder- standing of the male genitalia in this genus; all the dried specimens I have examined (of L. cinctus) had the larger forceps turned down, even though somewhat obliquely, and at first I thought this was the lower forceps; but on examining specimens preserved in alcohol I was struck Asilidae. ae by the fact that in this case the lower forceps would seem homo- logous with the upper forceps in other genera and vice versa with regard to the other forceps; I was therefore somewhat in doubt till I examined a quite mature pupa, and here the large forceps was lying dorsally thus proving beyond doubt that this is the upper forceps. It seems to me very curious that the forceps seem thus always to be turned upside down; (yet similar cases are found e.g. among the An- thracids.) — In the female the eighth ventral segment is excised in the hind margin and from the excision projects a short, compressed, somewhat knife-shaped ovipositor which quite fills out the excision and stretches a little beyond the hind margin of the segment; at the end of the eighth dorsal segment lies a semiannular piece, beset at the hind margin with spines which stretch out of the eighth segment above the ovipositor; ventrally to this piece there lies a small chitinous fork, but this is quite hidden and only to be seen by preparation. The legs are somewhat strong, the femora have long hairs below, and the tibize, especially the anterior, are long haired on the ventral side, among the hairs there are some long, thin bristles; there are some stronger bristles on the anterior side of the hind femora and apically on the anterior side of the middle femora, and similar but longer bristles are found on the tibiz, on the front tibiz especially on the posterior side. All tibiz have apical spurs. The tarsi have long bristles at the apex of the joints. The front tibia have a dense pubescence on the ven- tral side over nearly the whole length, the hind tibiz have a similar pubescence just at the apex. The tarsi are densely pubescent below. The claws are long; there are two pulvilli and a long, bristle-shaped Fig. 19. Wing of ZL. cinctus. or nearly claw-shaped empodium. Wings with the subcostal cell open, the cubital vein forked; between the discal cell and the upper branch of the postical vein a postical cross-vein; five posterior cells, the fourth narrowed at the margin; the anal cell closed slightly before the margin. The larval and pupal stages have, so far as I am aware, not been described hitherto. The larva (ZL. cinctus) is cylindrical, yellowish white, finely striated longitudinally; it is about 11. mm. long and 1,5 mm. 38 Orthorrhapha brachycera. in diameter. It is somewhat narrowed towards each end; the last segment is somewhat flattened, rounded at the apex. The body con- sists of twelve segments, including the head, but at the base of the last segment there is a short and indistinct, somewhat segment-like swelling, if this be counted for a segment we thus get thirteen seg- ments. The head is very small and retracted into prothorax; it has a few long hairs; prothorax beset with small, spine-like warts at the front margin; the three thoracic segments have each a long thin bristle on each side somewhat ventrally; the last segment has eight bristles, four on the margin and four dorsal, the two near the apex, the two others more inwards. There is a low and not very distinct transverse swelling at the ventral front margin of each abdominal segment; they disappear on the last three segments. The larva is amphipneustic with a pair of prothoracic spiracles at the hind margin of prothorax, and a pair of posterior spiracles on the swelling mentioned at the front part of the last segment; the spiracles are very small and not easy to detect. The pupa is somewhat short and thick, yellowish white, but brownish when it is mature; it has a length of about 9mm. The antennal sheaths lie to each side across the lower part of the eye, they have a strong, downwards curved spine at the base, and more apically three somewhat closely placed spines, directed downwards. At the base of the leg-sheaths there is a tubercle with two hook-formed, long and thin spines, directed downwards and back- wards, and at the base of the wing-sheath there is a low tubercle with a small spine. On the under side of the head at the lower margin of the eye there is a small triangular process on each side of the mouth parts; this is a sheath enclosing the hairs which are found here in the imago. The sheaths of all the mouth parts, labrum, labium, hypopharynx and maxillze with their palpi are distinctly seen. On each abdominal segment there is dorsally a girdle of long, erect bristles, alternating regularly with short spines, but on the first seg- ment there is no alternation, the girdle here consisting of long spines recurved at the apex. Ventrally each segment has a girdle of long, backwards directed hairs, but the girdles are interrupted in the middle and near the lateral margins, so that each girdle is divided into four parts, two ventral and two lateral, each part consisting of about three hairs. The last segment has four spines at the apex, an upper pair of longer and a lower pair of shorter spines, the upper spines are somewhat feathery; between the upper and lower spine on the same side there is a vertical row of about three very small spines. There is a pair of prothoracic and seven pairs of abdominal spiracles, all small; the prothoracic spiracles are situated in front, near the eye, Asilidae. 39 and the abdominal at the front margins of the segments. The sheaths of the legs reach to the hind margin of the third, and the sheaths of the wings a little beyond the hind margin of the first abdominal segment. The larvee live in the ground on sandy localities, and the pupz are found at the same places. The larve hibernate, and the trans- formation to pupa and the development of the imago take place in the following spring. The species of Lasiopogon occur especially in or near woods on dry and more or less sandy localities. I have never succeeded in seeing any Lasiopogon with prey; Poulton 1. c. records from England as prey for L. cinctus: Pachyrrhina lineata Scop. (histrio F.), the Lasiopogon being taken three times with the same prey. Of the genus 6 species are known from the paleearctic region; one is found in Denmark. 1. Lb? cinctus Fabr: 1781. Fabr. Spec. Ins. II, 465, 29 (Aszlus). — 1842. Zett. Dipt. Scand. I, 177, 1, et 1849. VIII, 2970, 1, et 1855. XII, 4578, 1 (Dasypogon). — 1847. Léw, Linn. Entom. II, 509, 35. — 1862. Schin. F. A. I, 133, — 1903. Kat. paldarkt. Dipt. Il, 122. Male. Face greyish brown pruinose; epistomal beard black. Pro- boscis and palpi black, the former with whitish hairs. Frons and vertex dark brownish, with blackish hairs. Occiput brownish above, lower down greyish white, the hairs black above, white below. An- tenn black, the two first joints with black hairs. Thorax brownish pruinose, with two dark brown lines on the disc, widened and some- what curved towards the humeri; between these lines a similar, nar- row line in the middle, not reaching the scutellum. The thoracic disc with erect, black hairs; the bristles black and long, longest on the hind part; the scutellar bristles likewise black. Pleura brownish pruinose, a row of hairs along the hind margin of the mesopleura and the long hairs on the metapleura black. Abdomen black, shining, the hind margin of the segments narrowly ashgrey, the hind corners more broadly grey and this colour is produced forwards so that nearly all the side margin is more or less distinctly grey. Venter black, somewhat greyish pruinose, with more or less distinct pale hind margins of the segments. Abdomen on the dorsal side is clothed with very short, black hairs in the middle, and along the sides with long hairs which become shorter towards the apex; these hairs are yellow or greyish on the front part but become darker backwards and are black at the end. Venter sparingly clothed with 40 Orthorrhapha brachycera. long, yellowish hairs, shorter and darker towards the end. The genitalia are shining black with short, black hairs. Legs black, tarsi sometimes more or less dark brownish; coxz greyish pruinose on the outer side and with long, greyish or yellowish hairs. The upper side of the femora with short, black hairs, sometimes paler, especially towards the base; the ventral side with long, yellowish, towards the apex blackish hairs; tibize with long, black hairs; the bristles on the legs and tarsi black. The dense pubescence apically on the ventral side of the hind tibize black, on the front tibize yellow. Wings slightly ereyish with blackish brown veins. Halteres dirty yellowish or rufous. Female. Quite agreeing with the male with exception of the genital differences, only the abdomen is slightly broader and flat; the eighth segment is quite shining black, the hairs on it pale and erect. Length 7,5—10 mm. L. cinctus is rather common in Denmark; it occurs in woods, both in woods of foliferous trees and in pine-woods, on sandy places, thus often on sandy roads, and it is generally seen sitting on the sand; on such places also the larvee and pupe are found; vicinity of Copen- hagen, Orholm, Sollergd, Hillerad, Tyvekrogen, Tisvilde, Odsherred, Hellebeek and at Tjustrup Se; in Jutland at Frijsenborg, Funder near Silkeborg, Norholm near Varde and Nymindegab. It is an early occurring species, my dates are ‘/s—1*/;, The larva has been taken at Mrholm on ?*/4, and pupz in the same locality on %/4, ?"/4, °/5 and 14/5; the pupz taken on °/4 developed on *8—?9/4, Geographical distribution: — Europe down into Italy and Dal- matia; towards the north it goes into Lapland. 6. Cyrtopogon Léw. Species of middle or somewhat large size, and of black colour but generally with more or less pale pruinosity. Head slightly broader than thorax, broader than high; it is short, and flat behind. Face rather broad, slightly narrowed towards the insertion of the antenne. There is a considerable callus, occupying the whole face right to the antenne; the epistomal beard covers the whole callus. Antenne inserted near to each other, somewhat above the middle. Jowls small, almost not descending below the eyes. No ocellar bristles are visible among the hairs clothing frons and vertex. The antenne consist of five joints, the first two short, the third long and compressed, bearing a style which is very indistinctly two-jointed and terminates in a bristle-shaped apex. The eyes have the facets in the middle front part, from the inner eye-margin outwards, somewhat larger than the Asilidae. 4A others. Clypeus is distinct and broad, occupying the whole breadth of the epistoma, rounded upwards. I have only been able to examine the mouth parts in situ with a lens, but they are in all probability in the main like those in the nearly related Lasiopogon; the proboscis is short and thick, truncate at the apex and directed obliquely down and forwards. Thorax is rectangular, high and somewhat arched above. There are preesutural and postalar bristles whereas the supra- alar bristles are only slightly indicated among the common hairs. The scutellum has no bristles but the hairs at the apex are long and somewhat strong; the metapleura have long hairs; hypopleura without long hairs. Metathorax small with a short metasternum, the space between it and the hind coxe membranous. Abdomen consists of eight segments; the first dorsal segment is short, the second the longest; on the ventral side the first segment is likewise very short; the eighth segment is small and quite hidden. The genitalia I have only examined in situ; the male genitalia resemble somewhat those in Lasiopogon but show some differences; there is an upper pair of forceps with thick, not hook-formed and nearly parallel arms between the apex of which there is a paired median dorsal lamella; below there is a lower pair of forceps the arms of which are, as usual, complicated and two-branched, they are thick at the base, and the outer or lower branch has a pointed apical part, reaching to the end of the upper for- ceps; at the base of the lower forceps there is a rounded median, ventral lamella. The female genitalia likewise resemble those in Lasiopogon; there is a dorsal piece, beset with spines, but the ovipositor formed of the eighth ventral segment is very small and indistinct. The legs are somewhat strong, especially the hind legs; the metatarsi are some- what elongated; in some (non-Danish) species the front tarsi of the males are very elongated. The femora have long hairs on the ventral, and partly also on the posterior side. The tibia have some strong bristles on the dorsal and anterior sides, the front tibiz on the posterior side; besides some long, thin bristles chiefly on the ventral side, All tibiz have apical spurs. The tarsi have long bristles at the end of the joints. The front tibiz have a dense pubescence on the ventral side at the apex, and the hind tibia have a very dense and rather long pubescence on the ventral and posterior sides nearly produced to the base and almost forming a fringe; the tarsi are densely pubescent below. There are two pulvilli and a short, bristle- shaped empodium. Wings with the subcostal cell open, the cubital vein forked; between the discal cell and the upper branch of the postical vein a postical cross-vein; five posterior cells, the fourth nar- 4I Orthorrhapha brachycera. rowed at the margin; anal cell closed or nearly closed. Alula distinct; alar squamula small, hairy at the margin. The larval and pupal stages of this genus are not known. The species of Cyrtopogon occur mainly in mountainous regions; they are recorded often as found sitting on stems and similar places in contradistinction to most other Dasypogonine. 1 know nothing about the prey of this genus. Of the genus 20 palearctic species are known; one is found in Denmark. 1. C. lateralis Fall. 1814. Fall. Dipt. Suec. Asilid. 12, 2 (Dasypogon). -— 1842. Zett. Dipt. Scand. I, 177,2 et 1849. VIII, 2971,2 et 1855, XII, 4578, 2 (Dasypogon). — 1847. Léw, Linn. Entom. II, 523,41. — 1862. Schin. F. A. 1, 134. — 1903. Kat. paldarkt. Dipt. I, 126. Male. Face blackish, greyish white pruinose; epistomal beard black. Proboscis and palpi black. Frons black in the middle, some- what shining, dark grey at the sides; frons and vertex with black hairs. Occiput dark grey, whitish along the posterior eye-margin; the hairs black above, whitish below. Antenne black with the hairs on first and second segment black. Thorax black, dull, two approximate median lines, not reaching the scutellum, very deep black and slightly less dull; the margin of the disc brownish grey, the grey colour produced inwards with a pointed prominence at the humerus, and again at the transverse furrow, here continued more or less distinct to the inner end of the furrow, then the grey margin con- tinues to the postalar callus and from here sends a prominence for- wards; the postalar callus is ashgrey; there is a very faint dark brownish line in the middle between the median lines, and one out- wards on each side of these, thus three in all; at the inner ends of the transverse furrow lies a whitish grey, distinct spot; finally the dise is ashgrey in front of the scutellum; thus the black colour forms two median stripes and two side spots which latter are rounded in front, more pointed backwards and divided by the transverse furrow. Scutellum ashgrey in the middle. The disc is clothed with longish, black hairs which are longest posteriorly, scutellum with long, black hairs, especially long at the margin. The bristles on thorax are black. Pleura brownish grey pruinose, meso- and sternopleura with longer hairs, on the first blackish, on the latter white; the long hairs on metapleura white. Abdomen black, shining; the second segment over somewhat more than the posterior half and the whole third segment yellowish grey pruinose with exception of the anterior corners which Asilidae. A3 remain black; generally a slight pruinosity is also seen on the front margin of the fourth segment; as mentioned the pruinosity at the lateral margins only occupies the hind corners, and on the fourth, fifth and sixth segments the hind corners are also occupied by a transverse, pruinose spot. Venter black, somewhat shining. Abdomen clothed with short hairs which are yellowish on the front part, but black towards the apex; the hairs are long at the side margins of the anterior segments, decreasing in length backwards. Venter with somewhat long, pale hairs. The genitalia have short, black hairs, slightly longer below; there are some reddish hairs just at the apex. Legs quite black; cox greyish pruinose on the outer side and with long, greyish hairs; the hairs on the dorsal side of the femora chiefly black, on the ventral side yellowish grey; the hairs and bristles on _ tibiae and tarsi black; the dense pubescence apically on the ventral side of the front and hind tibie brown. Wings with rather strong, blackish fumigation, most pronounced on the apical half; the veins black. Halteres yellow. Female. This is somewhat different from the male; the design on the thoracic dise is very distinct, all the pruinose lines being broader and grey and thus the two black, median lines and the two divided side spots very pronounced; the hairs on the disc are shorter than in the male. The abdomen has no pruinose band in the middle but the lateral margin of the first segment is grey and there is a transverse, whitish grey spot at the lateral hind corners of the second to sixth segments. Wings not blackish but slightly greyish. Length 7,5—10,5 mm. C. lateralis is very rare in Denmark and even but recently detected ; only four specimens have been taken, all in the little wood called Tyvekrogen at the southern part of Grib Skov; one specimen was taken in 1906 (Larsen) and three in 1907 (the author). I took my specimens sitting on tree-stubs. It is an early occuring species, my dates are 12/5—13/¢. Geographical distribution: — Northern and middle Europe down into France; towards the north to northernmost Scandinavia and here common; it occurs mainly in the mountainous districts. 2. Laphriine. Somewhat robust species, generally more or less densely pilose. Abdomen relatively broad and not decreasing in breadth towards the apex. Antenne three-jointed without style or arista (in the non- Danish genus Laphystia five-jointed, the third joint bearing a two- 4A Orthorrhapha brachycera. jointed style). Legs more or less strong. Wings somewhat broad; the subcostal ceil closed; two cubital cells (rarely, in non-Danish genera, three); between the discal cell and the upper branch of the postical vein a postical cross-vein; the fourth posterior cell closed at some distance from the margin, the first sometimes narrowed, or (in non-Danish genera as Andrenosoma, Hoplistomerus) closed; anal cell closed. Only one: gemusisos 5 2.01 5 RT ete 7. Laphria. 7. Laphria Meig. Large or middle sized species of black colour, sometimes with reddish markings; they are often strongly pilose and then the pile may give rise to pale designs. Head narrower than, or as broad as, thorax, broader than high; it is short and the posterior surface flat. Face rather broad with a large callus which does not reach the an- tenne; the epistomal beard occupies the whole callus and there are shorter hairs continuing up to the antenne. Antenne inserted near to each other, considerably above the middle. Jowls a little descen- ding below the eyes. A pair of ocellar bristles more or less distinct among the other hairs on the vertex. Antenne consisting of three joints, the first about twice as long as the second, the third the longest, slightly compressed, blunt at the apex without style or arista. The eyes have the facets in the front part, from the inner margin outwards, somewhat enlarged. The united stipites of the maxille lie on the back of the head, below the occipital foramen, surrounded by a connecting membrane. Clypeus distinctly marked off, rounded upwards, and impressed. Proboscis about as long as the head is high, directed forwards and a little downwards; labium rather characteristic; it is straight, at the base thick and swollen but for the rest it has the upper and lower margin parallel and is strongly compressed; the apex is trunctate; the basal part is very short, much shorter than the apical part, this latter shows no division into two joints; there are long hairs below at the base and short hairs at the apex. Labrum short, slightly longer than the basal part of the labium. The maxillee are long, pointed and slightly curved towards the apex; the maxillary palpi are two-jointed. Hypopharynx rather long, straight and pointed, it is densely beset with somewhat short hairs above over more than the apical half. Maxille and hypopharynx equal in length to the labium. Thorax rectangular, moderately high, arched above. In some species no macrochzete are discernible, in others preesutural, supraalar and postalar bristles are present; the Asilidae. A5 latter species also have scutellar marginal bristles. Metapleura have long bristles, hypopleura shorter hairs. Metathorax rather distinct, there is a considerable metasternum, the space between it and the hind coxee membranous. Abdomen consists of eight segments, which are however not all visible; the first dorsal segment is a little shorter than the following; the first ventral segment is very short. In the male at most seven segments are visible, the eighth segment is very small and completely hidden; it is formed of a small ventral plate and a very short dorsal annulus. The male genitalia are very large; they consist, so far as I have been able to examine, of an upper pair of forceps with generally rather broad arms, but otherwise of different shape in the different species, and of a lower pair lying more inwards and very complicated with two-branched arms, but likewise of different shape in the different species; the upper and lower forceps are strongly ~ connected, so that it would perhaps be correct only to speak of one pair of forceps. There is a large, arched ventral lamella, reaching to the apex of the upper forceps. In the interior is the penis with a thick base and an upwardly curved, three-pointed apex. There was no dorsal median lamella to be seen, but the ventral lamella has at the apex a pair of small styles, sitting on a basal piece which is articu- lated to the ventral lamella. In the female eight segments are visible; the eighth ventral segment has from the hind margin a shovel-shaped prolongation; the ninth segment forms a shorter or longer ovipositor terminating in a pair of small styles. Legs somewhat strong, in some species stronger than in others and with club-shaped hind femora; they are more or less strongly haired, in some species also with stronger spine-like bristles. All tibize have apical spurs; the tarsi have strong bristles. The front tibie have a dense pubescence on the * ventral side, and the hind tibiz a similar pubescence at the apex; the tarsi are densely pubescent below. The claws are strong; there are two pulvilli and a somewhat claw-shaped empodium. Wings with the subcostal cell closed a little before the margin, the cubital vein branched; between the discal cell and the upper branch of the posti- cal vein a postical cross vein; five posterior cells, the fourth closed somewhat before the margin; anal cell closed. Alula large; alar squamula small, hairy at the margin. When the wings in rest are lying parallel over the abdomen, the squamulz point outwards in a somewhat process-like way. The larva (L. gilva) is cylindrical, thickest at the front end, whitish, with distinctly marked segments; it is finely striated longitudinally. It consists of thirteen segments including the head and when the seg- ment-like part bearing the posterior spiracles is counted as a segment. Ab Orthorrhapha brachycera. The head has a shield-shaped, brown, chitinised plate above, and a small plate below; it is beset with several bristles above and below. The mouth parts consist of a short, hook-formed labrum; on each’ side of this is a small, very compressed, knife-shaped mandible, and externally to the latter a large and broad maxilla which is excised in the outer margin and has a two-jointed palpus. Brauer (Denkschr. d. Kais. Akad. d. Wiss. math. nat. Cl. XLVII, Taf. IV, 1883) on fig. 61 has indicated the maxilla with O?, which means Oberkiefer?, he has not seen the mandible which also is quite hidden and only seen by pre- paration; his text (p. 28) is also influenced by this mistake. The front margin of the three thoracic segments is finely chagrined; these segments have a bristle at each side on the ventral surface. The six first abdominal segments have each a girdle of six warts all round the segment, a pair at each side on the ventral surface and one at each side on the dorsal surface. The sixth and seventh abdominal segments are the longest. The blunt apex of the last segment points somewhat upwards and has a weakly chitinised plate with three small spines, two above and one larger below; besides the segment has eight long hairs. On the oblique lower side is the anus as a small split. The larva is amphipneustic with a pair of small spiracles at the hind margin of the prothoracic segment and of the mentioned penultimate segment-like part. The length is about 24 mm. with a diameter of about 3mm. The pupa is brownish yellow; the antennal sheaths lie in front of the head, directed downwards and somewhat diverging, lying across the lower part of the eye; they have a strong spine at the base, and lower down a compressed tubercle produced in four spines. There is a small spine at the lower margin of the eye and more inwards a small, two-pointed spine; there is a com- pressed tubercle with three small spines at the base of the leg-sheaths - and a small tubercle at the base of the wing-sheaths. On the dorsal side of each of the first seven abdominal segments there is a girdle of short spines, replaced by hairs laterally; on the seventh segment the spines get long and recurved; the eighth segment has four short spines dorsally. On the ventral side the segments have girdles of hairs which are longest tovards the end of the body. The first four segments have two long and one short hair at each lateral margin, the fifth, sixth and seventh segment have three long hairs The last segment terminates in four spines, placed in a quadrate. There is a pair of thoracic spiracles at the front margin of the thorax behind the eyes, and seven pairs of abdominal spiracles. The sheaths of the legs reach a little beyond the front margin of the third segment. The length of the pupa is 16 mm. Asilidae. 47 The larve live under bark and in stubs, especially in pine-trees; they are carnivorous. Perris (Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr. 4, X, 1870, 2192) records the larva of L. gilva as occurring together with larvee of Spon- dylus buprestoides and Criocephalus rusticus. Beling (Arch. f. Natur- gesch. Jahrg. 48, 199) records the same larva taken under the bark of Pinus silvestris. 1 have had the larva of L. gilva from stubs of pine-trees and pupze of L. marginata from similar places. Zeller (Scholtz in Entom. Zeitschr. Breslau, 1848, 16) saw ZL. flava deposit its eggs in a cleft in the stem of a pine-tree. The larva hibernates and the transformation to pupa and development of the imago follow in the next summer. The species of Laphria occur in woods and especially in pine- woods; they sit generally on the stems, watching for prey; the prey seems to some degree to consist of beetles; I have seen L. gilva take ~ some Cerambycid, and I have records of it eating Tomicus typographus and Trypodendron. Poulton |. c. records from Spain Buprestis flavo- maculata F. and another beetle as prey for L. gibbosa, and Formica rufa L. for L. flava. Remarks. The genus Laphria is scarcely formed as narrow as most other Asilid genera, and therefore the species show some diffe- rent characters. Thus the species fall in two groups: one comprising the more robust, densely pilose forms with strong, club-like hind femora and mostly with a spine at the apex of the hind tibie in the male; these species do not seem to have special individualised bristles on the thoracic disc or scutellum. The other group comprises the less robust forms with less strong legs, the hind femora not club- shaped and no spine at the apex of the hind tibiz; these species seem always to have special bristles on the thoracic disc. Of the Danish species L. ephippium belongs to the first, L. gilva and margi- nata to the second group. The genus comprises 38 paleearctic species; three have hitherto been found in Denmark. Table of Species. 1. Thorax densely pilose, the hairs yellow on the hind part; robust, strongly pilose Species ::...4 - «254 + is sje 6 wee si 1. ephippium. — Thorax black, sparingly pilose; more slender, not den- SENSE STICCIE SC cn Sevres 6 6 co cke iers Vee Gee a © sf Sus, So Oman % 2. 2. Abdomen with red markings, clothed with dense red PRI ORES ERI NG A or eee. GRID 2s, SENOS LON le aS as 2. gilva. — Abdomen black with yellow, not dense pubescence.... 3. marginata. 48 Orthorrhapha brachycera. 1. L. ephippium Fabr. 1776. Fabr. Gen. Ins. 308 (Asilus). — 1805. Fabr. Syst. Ant]. 157, 3. — 1842. Zett. Dipt. Scand. I, 161, 3 et 1855. XM, 4559, 3. — 1847. Léw, Lin. Entom. Il, 544, 5. — 1862. Schin. F. A. I, 1938. -- 1903. Kat. palaarkt. Dipt. II, 132. Male. Face blackish, narrowly yellowish at the inner eye-margin and somewhat brownish pruinose above the callus. Epistomal beard yellowish white, with black hairs in the upper part; the hairs below the antennze and on the vertex yellowish to black. Proboscis black with short, yellow hairs at the apex and with long, whitish hairs below at the base. Palpi black, black haired. Occiput blackish, above with black, downwards with brownish hairs. Antennz black, the hairs on the two first joints reddish. Thorax black, somewhat shining on the front part which is not seen on the hinder part on account of the dense pile; the larger front part is somewhat sparingly clothed with erect, black hairs, the hind part with very dense, somewhat longer, yellow to reddish hairs. Scutellum with long hairs of the same colour, especially at the margin; there are no special bristles discernible in the common clothing. Pleura with long, black hairs. Abdomen black, shining, clothed with blackish or brownish hairs which towards the apex get more reddish; the hairs are short on the middle of the dorsum, but longer towards the side margins, especially in front. Venter black, sparingly clothed with long, black or brownish hairs. The male genitalia are large, the arms of the upper forceps are some- what shovel-shaped, broad at the end; they bend down somewhat on the sides; the arms of the lower forceps have an inner branch stretching out towards the apex, and an outer branch which is curved strongly upwards and backwards and is two-pointed at the apex. The geni- talia have reddish hairs above, black hairs below. Legs black, densely hairy with shorter and longer hairs; hind femora bare and shining on the ventral side; no stronger bristles visible. The hind femora strongly club-shaped, the hind tibiz curved, produced in a short, blunt spine on the ventral side at the apex. Front coxe with long, yellowish white hairs; the hairs on the femora chiefly black, generally paler below, and at the apex of the hind femora somewhat reddish; the hairs on the tibiz partly black, partly reddish, the longer hairs generally with whitish apex; the bristles on the tarsi reddish. The dense pubescence on the ventral side of the front tibize and on the posterior side at the apex of the hind tibize reddish; the pubescence below the tarsi of the same colour. The claws reddish at the base, black at the apex. Empodium reddish. Wings brownish yellow, more hyaline at the base; the veins brown, in the apical half of the Asilidae. 49 wing broadly seamed with brown and hence this part brownish. The costa has reddish or yellowish hairs at the base and some way out. Halteres brownish or reddish. Female. Epistomal beard black, only with some reddish hairs below; the hairs on occiput and on the base of the proboscis black. Abdomen broader than in the male, with less parallel sides and thus moré oval; it is almost quite black haired or the hairs somewhat paler towards the lateral margin. The ovipositor with yellowish hairs at the apex. The hind femora are not bare on the ventral side, and the hind tibiz have no spine at the apex. Length 15—22 mm. This large, pilose species is at once recognised among the Danish species. It bears some resemblance to L. flava L. which is not found in Denmark, but this species has the abdomen densely reddish yellow haired. L. ephippium is not common in Denmark but has yet been taken in several localities; Tyvekrogen, at Hgrsholm and Ringsted; in Jut- land at Vejle, Skanderborg, Frijsenborg, Gjesso near Silkeborg, Silke- borg and Skjerping. My dates are 2/s—'%/7. It occurs in woods, especially in districts with pine-trees, and is generally found sitting on the stems. Geographical distribution: — Northern and middle Europe down into France; towards the north to middle Scandinavia; it is not found in Britain. In middle Europe it goes high up in the mountains. 2. L. gilva L. 1761. Linn. Fn. Succ. 1912 (Asilus). — 1842. Zett. Dipt. Scand. I, 162, 4 et 1855. XII, 4559, 4. — 1847. Léw, Linn. Entom. II, 548, 8. — 1862. Schin. F. A. I, 139. — 1903. Kat. palaarkt. Dipt. Il, 134. Male. Epistomal callus black, the face above it somewhat whitish grey pruinose; epistomal beard consisting of thicker, black and thinner, white hairs; below the antennee there are shorter, black hairs; vertex with black hairs. Proboscis black with long, white hairs at the base, and short, yellow hairs at the apex; palpi black and black haired. Occiput grey pruinose, the hairs black above, white downwards and on the jowls; a row of black hairs stretches down to the jowls just along the posterior eye-margin. Antenne black with black hairs on the two first joints; the basal joint scarcely twice as long as the second, the third longer than the two basal together. ‘Thorax black, very slightly pruinose and nearly dull; the disc is thinly clothed with erect, black hairs which are longest behind; anteriorly to the scutellum and generally also in the middle of the front margin there are whitish Diptera Danica. II. 4 50 Orthorrhapha brachycera. or yellowish hairs; there is a preesutural bristle and a group of supra- alar and postalar bristles, all black. Scutellum with black hairs and long, black marginal bristles. Pleura black and chiefly black haired, only at the hind margin of the mesopleura and among the long hairs on the metapleura there are some pale hairs. Abdomen black, some- what shining; the hind margin of the third segment and the middle of the fourth and fifth segments in the whole length red, the red colour produced laterally at the front and hind margins of the fourth and fifth segments; sometimes there is also a very narrow, red hind margin on the second segment and a small spot at the front margin of the sixth; the red colour is more or less completely hidden under the dense, red pubescence. Venter black, shining. Abdomen clothed in front with erect, whitish hairs which are long at the lateral margin, the middle part of the second segment and the following segments are clothed with bright red hairs which are depressed and directed from the median line to each side; the hairs may stop at the hind margin of the fifth segment or go as a little spot in on the sixth segment or finally they also clothe the whole sixth segment; the red hairs do not reach the lateral margin which, like the apex, is black haired; at the lateral hind corners of the third and fourth segments there are white hairs. Venter sparingly clothed with long, whitish hairs. The male genitalia are large, the arms of the upper forceps are somewhat shovel-shaped with broad ends; from the dorsal side, somewhat before the apex two flat, striated prolongations issue, a larger outer and a smaller inner; the arms of the lower forceps have two somewhat upwards curved branches; the large ventral lamella reaches the apex. The genitalia are black haired, the hairs are some- what long above, short below, at the apex of the ventral lamella there are long, strong hairs; the small apical styles are pale haired. Legs black, not specially densely -hairy, the hairs whitish and black intermingled, but chiefly pale on the femora and more black on the tibie; long and thin hairs are found especially on the ventral side of the femora, on the ventral and dorsal sides of the hind tibize, on all sides of the middle tibize and on the front tibize except on the anterior side; stronger spine-like bristles are found on the anterior and posterior sides of the hind femora downwards, and on the dorsal side of the hind tibiz, on the anterior side of the middle femora and some long ones on the dorsal side of the middle tibie and finally on the dorsal side of the front tibie; they are all black as are also the strong bristles on the tarsi. The dense pubescence on the ventral side of the front tibize and at the apex on the posterior and ventral sides of the hind tibiz is brown as is also the dense pubescence on ae —=— + Asilidae. 51 the lower surface of the tarsi. Claws black, reddish at the outermost base. Empodium reddish. Wings hyaline at the basal half, greyish at the apical half; veins blackish, costa with black hairs at the base. Halteres brown. Fig. 20. Wing of L. gilva. Female. With exception of the genital differences quite agreeing with the male. Length 15—18 mm. L. gilva is not rare in Denmark and has been found in not few localities; Fuglevad, Geel Skov, Ruderhegn, Grib Skov, Tisvilde, Bromme at Soro; on Funen at Faaborg and in Jutland at Silkeborg and at Hald near Viborg. My dates are 3/;—1/9. It occurs in woods in districts with pine-trees, especially on localities with high-stemmed trees, and it is here found sitting on the stems watching for prey. During a great invasion of Tomicus typographus in Grib Skov in 1900 the species was very common while it is otherwise somewhat rare there; it was sitting on the stems in great numbers, feeding on the typographs. The larva has been taken in Ruderhegn on ¥/4 under bark of fir and larvee and pupe in Geel Skov in a stub of fir on °/s. Geographicai distribution: — Northern and middle Europe; towards the north to northern Scandinavia; it is not found in Britain. It occurs also in North America in Canada. 3. L. marginata L. 1761. Linn. Fn. Suec. 1913 (Asilus). — 1842. Zett. Dipt. Scand. I, 163, 6 et 1849. VIII, 2976,6. — 1847. Léw, Linn. Entom. II, 556, 12. — 1862. Schin. F. A. I, 140. — 1903. Kat. paladarkt. Dipt. I, 135. — 1849. L. podagrica Zett. Dipt. Scand. VIII, 2976, 5—6. Male. Epistomal callus black; face above the callus with white or yellowish hairs which are depressed and directed downwards, so that they cover the upper part of the callus; the face is greyish just below the antenne. Epistomal beard black; above the antennz and on the vertex there are black hairs. Proboscis black with long, blackish hairs at the base and short, yellow hairs at the apex; palpi black and black haired. Occiput black, at the eye-margins greyish pruinose; the hairs black above, yellow below. Antenne black with black hairs on the 4* 52 Orthorrhapha brachycera. first two joints; the first joint four times as long as the second, the third slightly longer than the first two together. Thorax black, slightly shining and with a slight violet tinge; in front of the humerus a greyish pruinose spot. The thoracic disc is sparingly clothed with somewhat short, yellowish hairs and with longer, erect, blackish hairs which are longest behind. Scutellum with yellowish hairs and long, black mar- ginal bristles. On the thoracic disc there is a presutural bristle and a group of supraalar and postalar bristles, all black. Pleura black, slightly greyish pruinose and with somewhat long hairs which are blackish above, white farther dovn, above the coxe; the long hairs on the metapleura are black above, yellowish below. Abdomen black, shining, like the thorax with a slight violet tinge. It is clothed with short, depressed, yellow hairs which give the impression of being somewhat denser at the hind margins of the segments, especially on the sides; they are long at the lateral margin of the first segment but decrease in length backwards; at the lateral margins of the first five segments there are some stronger, bristly hairs; on the sixth segment the hairs are blackish in the middle. Venter black, sparingly clothed with long, yellow hairs. The genitalia somewhat resemble those in gilva, but the upper forceps have not the flat prolongations; the ventral lamella is much arched; there are long, black hairs on the upper forceps and at the apex of the ventral lamella, the apical styles of the ventral lamella have pale hairs. Legs black, somewhat strong, the hind femora somewhat club-shaped; the legs are not densely hairy; the shorter hairs on the dorsal side of the femora are chiefly black, the longer hairs on the ventral side yellowish; the hairs on the hind tibize are blackish, on the anterior tibiz yellowish; long, thin hairs are found especially on the ventral side of the hind tibie, on the middle tibiz except on the dorsal side, and on the ventral and posterior sides of the front tibie; they are partly black, partly, especially on the middle tibize, yellowish; stronger spine-like bristles are found at the apex on the posterior side of the hind femora, on the anterior side of the middle femora, and on the dorsal side of the tibie; on tbe middle tibise they are long; they are generally all black. The strong bristles on the tarsi are reddish and black. The dense pubescence on the ventral side of the front tibize and at the utmost apex on the posterior side of the hind tibize is bright reddish yellow, as is also the dense pubescence on the under side of the tarsi. Claws black; empodium reddish. Wings yellowish hyaline on the basal half, brown on the apical half; veins brown, costa at the base clothed with white or yellowish hairs. Halteres yellow to reddish yellow. Female. Chiefly agreeing with the male, only the wings less Asilidae. 53 hyaline on the basal half and hence more evenly brown, and the hairs at the base of the costa black. Length. This species varies considerably in size, the length being 9—14 mm. The pupa has a length of 12 mm. L.marginata is not common in Denmark, but yet from time to time taken in not small numbers; Dyrehaven, Geel Skov; on Lolland at Maribo and Frejlev; on Funen at Lundeborg on the eastern coast and at Langensg; in Jutland at Frijsenborg and Stovring near Ran- ders, finally on Bornholm in Ekkodalen. My dates are '°/s6—*/9, Pupze have been taken in Dyrehaven in decaying wood and in Polyporus. The species occurs in woods of foliferous trees generally sitting on the stems. Geographical distribution: — Northern and middle Europe down - into France; towards the north to the northern parts of middle Scan- dinavia. 3. Asiline. The genera of Asilinw, enumerated in the following, were, as is well known, established as groups in L6w’s valuable monograph; since then they have generally been treated as genera, yet they have been rejected by some authors, e. g. Pandellé (Rev. d’Entomol. publ. par la Soc. Franc. d’Entom. XXIV, 1905, 45), who consider them as one genus, Asilus. Though it cannot be denied that as genera they are far more closely allied and taken in a much more narrow sense than genera are commonly, [ shall yet retain them here, chiefly because they are generally in use and at all events give valuable hints about the natural classification of the species; but I shall, on account of the narrow sense in which they are taken, give a common generic description under the heading of Asiline. The species of the Aszlinw are of medium to large size and of a somewhat long, slender shape; they are generally of a dull, brownish to greyish colour, rarely more lively coloured. Head as broad as, or somewhat broader than thorax and somewhat broader than _ high, short, and flat on the posterior surface. The eyes are large, the face somewhat broad, or more narrow, somewhat widened below; there is a distinct and generally large epistomal callus above the clypeus, bearing a long and dense epistomal beard the hairs of which are curved downwards. Antenne inserted near to each other, somewhat above the middle. Jowls somewhat but generally only slightly descending below the eyes. No individualised ocellar bristles. A row of occipito- orbital bristles along the upper part of the posterior eye-margin. 54 Orthorrhapha brachycera. The antenne consist of five joints, the first is longer than the second, the third is compressed, broadest at the base, somewhat pointed to- wards the apex, the two last form an arista with the first joint short. The eyes have the facets in front, from the inner eye-margin some- what outwards, more or less enlarged in both sexes. On the back of the head, below the occipital foramen, there is a membranous part with the united stipites of the maxille. The clypeus is distinctly marked off below the epistomal callus, it is rounded upwards and impressed. Proboscis directed downwards and more or less for- wards; it varies in length from half as long to slightly longer than the head is high; the basal part of the labium occupies about half the length; the apex is rounded or more pointed. Labrum as long as the basal part of labium, it is elongately triangular, rounded or trun- cate at the apex. The maxille have a long, semitubular lacinia which is either truncate (albiceps, forcipula, trigonus, atricapillus, cyanurus) or somewhat pointed at the apex (e.g. crabroniformis); the maxillary palpi are short, cylindrical, one-jointed. Hypopharynx likewise semi- tubular, it is strong, pointed at the apex; it is beset with erect hairs above over about the apical half. Maxille and hypopharynx equal in length to labium. Thorax high, more or less arched above; it is rectangular with rounded corners. There are preesutural, supra- alar and postalar bristles, and on the middle of the disc there are two rows of dorsocentral bristles, generally only on the hind part (preescutellar bristles Ost. Sack.), more rarely continued longer forwards. Scutellum has long marginal bristles. On meta- and hypopleura there is a vertical row of more or less strong bristles. Metathorax distinct, there is a somewhat large metasternum, the space between it and the hind coxe is membranous. Abdomen long, narrower than the thorax and generally decreasing in thickness towards the apex; it is cylindrical or somewhat compressed. It consists in the male of eight segments; the first dorsal segment is short and always broader than the following segments, the second is the longest; the first ventral segment is very short. The eighth segment is small and often more or less hidden, it has sometimes, in the male, on the ventral side a prolongation at the hind margin. The male genitalia consist of the upper forceps which may be of somewhat different shape in the different species; below the upper forceps is the lower pair of forceps the arms of which are complicated and two-branched; the inner branch varies not a little in shape in the different species; between the arms of the upper forceps lies the dorsal median lamella, it is membranous in the middle, but chitinised at the sides and hence somewhat paired. On the ventral side lies the ventral lainella at the base of the lower Asilidae. 55 forceps, it is semiannular and forms, as it were, a ninth ventral seg- ment; it is either black and shining like the genitalia, or pruinose and then quite resembling a ventral segment. In the interior lies the penis which is curved upwards towards the apex, and here often three-branched. In the female the abdomen consists likewise of eight segments, but the eighth always forms part of the ovipositor, that is to say it is black, shining and otherwise indicating that it belongs to the ovipositor. The ovipositor consists of a basal part, the mentioned eighth segment, and of a second dorsal piece above; it is thus formed of two dorsal and one ventral piece, that is of the eighth segment and a dorsal part of the ninth; the ventral piece is generally so long that it stretches out to the end of the second dorsal piece. At the apex of the dorsal piece lie a pair of lamellz which are either lamelliform and wedged into the apex of the dorsal piece, or they are more styliform and free. The ovipositor may be shorter or longer and it is either cylindrical and conical, or strongly compressed, in rare cases it is thick and swollen. In some cases not only the eighth but also the sixth and seventh segments form part of the ovipositor which is then long and compressed. Legs more or less strong and bristly ; the hairs on the legs fall in different categories; there is a common clothing of short, somewhat depressed hairs, then on certain places long and thin, erect hairs some of which may be strong and bristly, e.g. often on the ventral side of the front femora; finally there are strong spine-like bristles to a different degree on femora and tibiz; also apical spurs are present. On the ventral or antero-ventral side of the front tibiae and on the posterior side of the hind tibiz there is a special, dense, reddish pubescence, and a similar pubescence is found on the under side of the tarsi. The tarsi have strong spine- like bristles, especially at the apex of the joints. The claws are strong; there are two pulvilli and a claw- or bristle-shaped empodium. Wings Fig. 21. Wing of Neoitamus cyanurus. with the subcostal cell closed, the cubital vein forked; two cubital cells (in some non-Danish genera the upper branch of the cubital vein has a recurrent veinlet, and this may be prolonged to the radial vein, then there are three cubital cells); no postical cross-vein between the upper branch of the postical vein and the discal cell, but the 56 Orthorrhapha brachycera. postical vein uniting with the discal vein at a point, rarely forming a very short postical cross-vein; five posterior cells, the fourth closed at a little distance from the margin (in some non-Danish genera the first may be narrowed towards the margin or closed); the anai cell closed; the first basal cell somewhat longer than the second. Alula well developed. Alar squamula small, thickened at the margin and with a long fringe. The pattern of the thoracic disc in the Asiline is very uniform; it is, as in most other Diptera, caused by the large thoracic muscles or is at all events in some way dependent on these. The ground colour which is caused by a pruinosity is generally greyish or brownish ; the markings are darker and consist of a middle stripe and to each side of it a side stripe; the middle stripe is generally broadest in front, decreasing in breadth backwards and here often pointed, it has often a fine, light middle line. The side stripes do not reach the front end but stop a little behind the humeri; they are divided in three spots each, the first disconnection follows the transverse furrow, the second lies inwards to the wing-root; the last spot is generally small and cuneiform. These are the common markings; besides there may sometimes be a more or less distinct, narrow line between the middle and the side stripes, and a small humeral spot or stripe. I have only examined the pupa and a cast larval skin (of N. cyanurus) but the Jarva has been described by several authors, among others by Beling (atricapillus and cyanurus) (Arch. fir Naturgesch. Jahrg. 48, 1882, 202—205). It is cylindrical, white, very finely striated longitudinally; the body consists of thirteen segments, including the head and when the segment-like part anterior to the last segment is counted. The head is small, brown chitinised, retractile; it is beset with some long hairs. The mouth parts consist of a short, hook-formed labrum; to each side of this is a small, compressed, knife- shaped mandible and outwards again a longer and broader maxilla with a palpus which has an apical joint sitting on a small basal joint; the maxilla has spines (movable?) on the inner, lower side. Fig. 54 by Brauer (Denkschr. d. Kais. Akad. d. Wiss. math. nat. Kl. XLVII, 1883) answers to my observations, but I think he has sometimes, figs. 55 and 56, confounded mandible and maxilla here as in Laphria; the mandibles are hidden and not seen without preparation. The three thoracic segments have a long hair on each side, and the last segment has some (8) long hairs. The larva is amphipneustic with small spiracles on prothorax and on the mentioned penultimate seg- ment or segment-like part. The pupa (forcipula, trigonus, cyanurus) is brown; there are two strong spines in front, directed somewhat Asilidae, 57 downwards; the antennal sheaths lie over the lower part of the eyes, directed to each side, they are compressed and have three’ strong, downwards directed spines. At the base of the wing-sheath there is a low tubercle, generally with a small spine, and at the base of the leg-sheaths a pair of very small spines. On the dorsal side of each abdominal segment there is a transverse girdle of strong spines, short and somewhat longer alternating; each segment has a girdle of strong hairs on the ventral side; along the sides there is on each segment a somewhat tubercle-shaped elevation with an oblique row of hairs going over in the dorsal spines; the last segment has at the apex four spines, placed in a quadrate, each tapering to a bristly point, between the lowermost pair there are two small, short spines. There is a pair of thoracic and seven pairs of abdominal spiracles. The sheaths of the legs reach to the hind margin of the second or third - abdominal segment in relation to the degree to which the pupa is curved. The larve live in the earth, or sometimes below the carpet of leaves covering the ground in woods, and they may often be found in mole-casts; they were formerly thought to live on vegetable or decaying matter, but it is now clearly shown that they are carni- vorous; they feed on other larve e.g. larve of different beetles; sometimes they penetrate quite into the larva which they attack and eat this quite empty before leaving it; they have been found in this way in the larva of an Elaterid (Brauer 1. c. 28 —29). Some species (Erax, Asilus) also prey upon locust-eggs (Riley, First Rep. U.S. Entom. Comm. 303). The larve hibernate and the transformation to pupa and development of the imago take place in the following summer. The pup are found in the earth at the same places as the larve. The different species of Asiline occur in different places; some species occur in woods, often especially in pine-woods, on open, sunny places; these species are often seen sitting on the stems, watching for prey and they take then a curious position; they sink somewhat on the legs on one side while the legs on the other side are somewhat stretched out and thus they get a characteristic oblique position. Other species occur on sandy places in woods, on fields generally also on dry and sandy localities, on heaths or along the shore and in downs; these species are generally seen sitting on the sand. On the whole dry and sandy districts are the common localities for the species. The Asiline are strong robbers, they prey upon other insects of all orders, and often the prey may be very large in relation to the Asilid, even larger than this. Under each species I have given what I know about its prey. 58 Orthorrhapha brachycera. Of Asiline about 236 species are known from the paleearctic region, of these 13 have hitherto been found in Denmark, and these all belong to the nearly related genera, formed by Léw as groups under Asilus. Table of Genera. 1. No bristles at the hind margin of the abdominal segments, or if such bristles are present, with numerous spine-like bristles on the front side of the middle femora, or if not, with the epistomal callus small, not reaching half the length of epistoma; female ovipositor conical, not compressed, sometimes with spines at the end............. 2. — Bristles at the hind margin of the abdominal segments present; spine-like bristles on the front side of the middle femora not numerous; epistomal callus reaching more than half the length of epistoma; female ovipositor COMPLessed 5.5.5 sce: aye» Ghee eee ene gee ee ee 6. 2. No bristles at the hind margin of the abdominal seg- ments . 2)... see. De ee ee renee eae eae ea 3. — Bristles at the hind margin of the abdominal segments PHESEDLE or, dies arey nee lita Shei ae meee ae ena ae Ree 5. 3. Colour lively, brown, black and yellow; legs all ferru- ginecous;. large. Species <2, .wasche. o Cees ene inners ne 10. Asilus. — Colour not lively, brownish or greyish.................... 4, 4, Epistoma not shining black in the middle; wings brown at the apex, at the base milk-white in the male, hyaline in, the, female... .4:is) 5) Pocgs, shawn Bikey pat a ee eee 9. Pamponerus. — Epistoma. shining black in the middle; wings hyaline. 11. Rhadiurgus. 5. Male genitalia large; female ovipositor swollen; numerous ; spine-like bristles on the front side of the middle femora; tibiee: reddish VL 0. WAT, CARE eae 12. Antipalpus. — Male genitalia somewhat slender, the upper forceps with a large excision above; female ovipositor small, conical, with spines at the apex; very few spine-like bristles on the front side of the middle femora; tibize not reddish 8. Philonicus. 6. The bristles on the middle of the thoracic disc con- tinued to’ or near toi the front ends 250. Sane 13. Dysmachus. — The bristles on the middle of the thoracic dise only continued to or slightly beyond the middle ................ G 7. The hairs on the venter strong, bristly; male genitalia small, eighth ventral segment without any prolongation. 17. Epitriptus. — The hairs on the venter not bristly; male genitalia large, or the eighth ventral segment with a prolongation.......... 8. 8. Male genitalia somewhat swollen; eighth ventral segment in the male without any prolongation; sixth and seventh abdominal segments form part of the female ovipositor.. 16. Neoitamus. — Male genitalia not swollen, eighth ventral segment in the male with a prolongation; sixth and seventh abdominal segments not forming part of the female ovipositor ......... a Asilidae. 59 9. The prolongation of the eighth ventral segment in the male rounded at the apex; female ovipositor with the |lisaietlhey Sta, Dern orsy ln 6) Ee Pee ee +e a ee OM (eRe 14. Eutolmus. — The prolongation of the eighth ventral segment in the male roundly excised at the apex; female ovipositor miiaearee, styiliorm lamelles so 2a) ees. ee) ee 15. Machimus. 8. Philonieus Low. Species of medium or somewhat large size, only slightly hairy. Face somewhat broad; epistomal callus small, not reaching half the height of the epistoma. Antenne placed somewhat above the middle; the hairs on the underside of the basal joints not long. The facets in the front part of the eyes somewhat enlarged. Dorsocentral bristles only present on the hind part of thorax. Scutellum with two marginal - bristles. Bristles at the hind margin of the abdominal segments pre- sent. Legs somewhat slender; no spine-like bristles on the ventral side of the front femora. Male genitalia somewhat slender; the arms of the upper forceps with a large excision above at the apex; ventral lamella pruinose, resembling the ventral segments. ‘The female ovi- positor conical, with spines at the apex. Of this genus 4 paleearctic species are known; one is found in Denmark. 1. P. albiceps Meig. 1820. Meig. Syst. Beschr. II, 310, 8 (Asilus). — 1849. Low, Linn. Entom., IV, 145, 74. — 1862. Schin. F. A. I, 144 (Asilus). — 1903. Kat. paldarkt. Dipt. I], 142. — 1842. Asilus albibarbus Zett. Dipt. Scand. I, 172, 7 et 1849. VIII, 2969, 7 et 1855. XII, 4570, 7. Male. Eyes in the living specimen slightly metallic, brownish with a slight greenish cast. Face whitish hairy; epistomal beard white with some black hairs above. Frons and vertex grey. Palpi black with yellow hairs. Occiput grey with yellowish bristles above and white hairs below. Antenne black. Thorax light yellowish grey, the stripes brown, the middle stripe the darkest, this is broad in front, narrowed posteriorly; it has on the front part an indistinct middle line which is generally cleft anteriorly; the side stripes large. Scu- tellum grey. The thoracic disc sparingly clothed with short, erect, black hairs. The bristles generally black but not rarely intermingled with pale ones; the scutellar bristles pale. Pleura greyish pruinose; some longish, whitish hairs on ptero- and sternopleura; the vertical rows of long hairs on meta- and hypopleura yellowish. Abdomen greyish brown with an indistinct, dark brown middle line; with the light from behind there are light grey hind margins on the segments. 60 Orthorrhapha brachycera. Venter greyish brown. Abdomen clothed with short, yellowish, in the middle line blackish, hairs; at the hind margins of the segments there are long, yellow bristles which are longest on the anterior segments and towards the sides. Venter sparingly clothed with long, pale hairs. Genitalia black, the lower forceps greyish at the base, the ventral lamella greyish as the foregoing segments; the hairs black above, yellowish below and at the apex. The upper forceps with a large excision above. Legs black; coxee grey with long, greyish white hairs, and with stronger bristles; the legs for the rest clothed with short, depressed, greyish hairs so that they appear grey; on the tarsi the hairs sometimes partly blackish. Only some few long hairs on the ventral side of the front femora and tibiz. The front femora without spine-like bristles below, three or four above; the posterior femora with some few; the tibize with Fig. 22. some long spine-like bristles; these bristles are very Ph. albiceps, varying in colour, they are generally white with male forceps, exception of most of those on the dorsal side of the from above. front tibiz and often some towards the apex of the posterior tibiee which are black. The spine-like bristles on the tarsi mainly black, yet also some white posteriorly on the anterior tarsi. Wings yellowish, veins brown. Halteres yellow. Female. With exception of the genital differences agreeing with the male; the ovipositor shining black. Length 13—20 mm. This species is easily known by the small epistomal callus, the somewhat slight hairiness, the slender, strongly excised forceps and the characteristic female ovipositor. P. albiceps is common in Denmark in suitable localities; Vedbeek, Tisvilde, Jeegerspris; on Funen at Lundeborg on the eastern coast and at Faaborg; in Jutland at Frijsenborg, Silkeborg, Sendervig, Lon- strup, Frederikshavn, Skagen and on Lesg; finally on Bornholm at Hasle and Renne. My dates are ‘/7—?/9. It occurs in sandy localities especially at the shore and in downs, as seen from the list of localities, and often in great numbers, but also on sandy places in woods, and it is generally found sitting on the sand. Poulton |. c. records from England as prey for this species: a Muscid (Lucilia or Euphoria), Hyetodesia signata Meig., Fucellia maritima Halid. and Syrphus ribesi L. On the shore I think Fucellia and Scatophagids are especially its prey. Geographical distribution: — Most parts of Europe down into France; towards the north to middle Scandinavia; and in Siberia and Japan. one—®,