THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST 57 



Below is the description of a species of Thyllis loaned by Prof. A. L. Melander 

 which may prove to be an undescribed species when more material is collected. 

 It is near T. compressa Erich. 



Thyllis, sp. near compressa Erich. 



Head rather flat in front. Eyes short blackish pilose and meeting above 

 and below the antennae (see Figs. 2b and 2c). It will be noticed that there is a 

 line between the eyes below the antennae. Antennse brownish, the small first 

 joint scarcely visible. Ocellar tubercle very small and with three ocelli. The 

 occiput is black and punctate. Frons reduced to a tiny triangular shining black 

 space. Proboscis does not quite reach tip of abdomen, black at base, brown 

 the rest of the distance, lobes at tip of galea rather short. 



Thorax black, marked with yellow and red, the pile rather short, fine and 

 ashy coloured. There is a very noticeable ridge each side of the median line 

 of the dorsum (see fig. 2a). The prothorax is very remarkably developed 

 as in others of the group and is mostly pale yellow. It is butterfly-shaped as 

 seen from above, marked with reddish brown on the lateral margins, and on 

 either side of a median black spot. There is a yellow crescent rimmed with 

 brown above the base of the wing and a smaller spot just back of it. Two oval 

 yellow spots just in front of scutellum. Postalar calli pale mottled brownish, 

 black in the depression just back of the wing. Scutellum black with yellow 

 margin, the yellow expanded in the middle. Pleura black with a reddish brown 

 spot on mesopleura. Halteres yellow. 



Abdomen rather short and thick. First segment very short. Segments 

 2-5 increasing slightly in length, the incisures deep and clearly marked. Second 

 segment broadest, the following gradually decreasing. Colour of abdomen 

 mostly brownish red, all segments except sixth black basally. A median line 

 of yellow spots on the posterior border of each segment, the yellow surrounded 

 by a brownish red which nearly reaches the base of the segment. Lateral 

 margin of abdomen narrowly whitish yellow as in the margin of the fifth segment. 

 Venter yellowish. Squamae whitish hyaline with a sparse fringe of short 

 hairs. Very little of genitalia projecting in the female. 



Coxae and bases of femora blackish. Tibiae, tarsi, tips and part of under- 

 side of femora yellow. Claws black, yellow at base. Venation typical of genus. 

 Wing veins on anterior half of wing strong and blackish. Veins from posterior 

 cells do not reach posterior margin of wing. Wing membrane strongly rippled, 

 infuscated, darker in costal region. Length 5 mm, measured over dorsum of 

 thorax 7mm. 



One female specimen from Willowmore, Capetown, S. Africa, collected 

 by Dr. Brauns. Specimen in collection of Prof. A. L. Melander. 



Below is given a translation of Philippi's description of the genus Megalybus 

 and its six species published at Vienna in 1865 in the K. K. Zool. bot. gesellsch. 

 Verhandl., V, 15, p. 641-644. 



The head is very strongly bowed (geneigt), rounded, composed almost 

 entirely of the eyes, behind which a very prominent ring-like occiput is to be 

 seen, that is, however, smaller than the front part of the head. The eyes are 

 dark brown and pilose. The small ocellar triangle shows the usual three ocelli. 

 In the middle of the height of the head when one sees it in profile, projects a 

 small, smooth knob between the eyes, and under this are situated the small 



