On the Bombyliid Fauna of South Africa. (Diptera). 131 



gradually tapering into a long joint, with a very short and thin apical 

 style. Mouth-opening narrow and elongate ; proboscis not at all 

 projecting, shorter than the oral cavity, with not broad terminal 

 labella ; palpi long and thin, not much shorter than the proboscis and 

 pilose. Thorax broad, not much convex above, without bristles, but 

 at fore border and on sides above Avith dense tufts of bristly hairs ; 

 metapleurae hairy, while the surrounding parts are bare. Scutellum 

 broad and semicircular, without distinct bristles at hind border. 

 Squamulae with short, scaly fringe. Abdomen of oval shape, as 

 broad as the thorax at base, acute behind in the male, obtuse in the 

 female ; male genitalia small, directed to the left side ; spines of the 

 ovipositor long, thin, curved. Legs with the front pair distinctly 

 abbreviated ; front tibiae with distinct spicules inside ; front tarsi not 

 specially pubescent ; middle femora with 2 spines on the fore side on 

 the apical half ; hind femora with 3-4 short spines below on the 

 apical half ; 4 posterior tibiae with numerous and long spicules ; 

 pulvilli about as long as the claws, which are simple and curved. 

 Wings rather broad and long, distinctly broader in the female ; 

 membrane smooth and very iridescent ; they have no developed 

 pattern, being only yellowish-fuscous on the basal half. Basal hook 

 very stout and curved; basal comb very short; 2nd longitudinal 

 vein originating at right angle and before the middle cross-vein at a 

 distance which is about as long as the cross- v^ein itself, deeply looped 

 at end ; 3rd vein placed on the same straight line with the praefurca, 

 its upper branch strongly S-shaped and not retreating at base ; 

 2 submarginal cells only present. Discoidal cell rather short, acute 

 at base and obtuse at end ; its terminal cross-vein short and only a 

 little oblique outwardly ; in the female it is broader than in the male ; 

 the middle cross-vein is placed near its middle, or a little before it. 

 First posterior cell of about the same breadth throughout its whole 

 length ; second posterior cell rectangular, about as broad at end as 

 the third, which is acute and prolonged basally ; fourth posterior cell 

 broader than all the others, its contact at base with the discoidal 

 cell being longer than the inferior apical cross- vein of the second 

 basal cell ; anal cell broadly open at end. Axillary lobe broad ; alula 

 well developed and fringed with scales ; ambient vein complete. 

 Type : The following new species. 



SYNTHESIA FUCOIDES, sp. iiov. 



A yellowish pilose fly of a humble-bee appearance, not very different 

 from some species of Villa, but at once distinguished from thein on 

 account of its well developed pulvilli. 



