Annals of the South African Museum. 



two first abdominal segments are without median marginal setae (or 

 if there are some on the second segment they are slender and decum- 

 bent). These characters do not, however, obtain in the $ , which 

 show median setae slender on the first segment, and well developed on 

 the second. This leads to the group Blepharipoda B. B., sensu stricto 

 represented in the African fauna by a very large number of species 

 difficult of distinction or of good characteristic description. 



8. aurifrons is widely spread in Southern and Tropical Africa. The 

 head is yellowish, bright golden on the frons and occiput; thorax 

 opaque or bronzy flavescent, sectioned by 4 black, narrow lines, the 

 outer one semi-colon shaped ; the scutellum is of similar hue, the 

 background being partly rufescent, The background of the abdomen 

 is reddish, easily noticeable laterally, the first segment appears to be 

 black, the following segments show each a dark posterior band, and a 

 bright ashy one in front, the latter is intersected by a medio-dorsal 

 black band. In the $ the third segment carries on the ventral side 

 an obscure spot covered with appressed black hairs and situated on 

 each side of the median line. The wings are greyish, light brown at 

 the base and along the anterior border, the hue becoming thinner 

 beyond the small transverse nervure. Squamae whitish -yellow or dirty 

 white ; halteres testaceous, the club fuscous. Legs black, the tibiae 

 more or less ferrugiueous in the centre. Antennae blackish ; the second 

 joint obscurely testaceous, the third twice and a half as long as the 

 second. Palpi dark at the base, yellow, and thickened towards the apex. 



The ? is of the same colour as the $ , but the abdomen is opaque 

 and the bands are wider and more densely ashy. 



Chaetotaxy : frontal setae rather short, and not reaching in front 

 the apex of the second antennal joint, which is a little elongated ; there 

 are often black ciliae below the end of the genae. In addition to the 

 crossed frontal setae, one counts 011 each side 2 ascending frontal, 

 2 setae on the vertex, the outer being slender in the $ and thickened 

 in the ; ocellary setae absent but distinct in the 9 , which bears two 

 orbital ones. There are a few small black setae above the large 

 vibrissae, but none on the upper occiput at the back of the ciliae. 

 Thorax: dc. = : 4; st, ==2 + 1. Abdomen: segments 1 and 2 void 

 of marginal setae in the $ segment 1 with 2 weak median, segment 

 2 with 2 median, valid and erect in the , and similar to those forming 

 the complete row always found on segment 3. 



Wings : Costal spine most minute ; 2-3 ciliae above and under at 

 the base of the third longitudinal nervure. Cubitus of the fourth 

 uervure straight, the apical transverse arcuate, the posterior transverse 

 little flexed and distant from the cubitus. 



