634 DIPTERA OF AUSTRALIA, 



486. Plecia melanaspis, Wiedemann. 



Penthetria melanaspis, Wied., Auss. Zwf., I., p. 72, 1828 ; 

 Crapitula Motschulskii, Gimmerth., Bull.de Moscou, 1845 ; Plecia 

 ignicollis, Walk., List Dipt. Brit. Mus., i., p. 116, 1848. 



(J. — Length of antennse 0-042 inch ... I'OG millimetres. 



Expanse of wings 0-3.50 x 0*135 ... 8-88x3*42 



Size of body 0-300x0-060 ... 7-62 x 1-54 



Antennae short, rather longer than the head, tolerably stout, 

 2- + 1 1-jointed, the last flagellar joint small, nipple-shaped ; black, 

 with minute hairs. Head, eyes, and palpi black. Thorax black, 

 the posterior two-thirds of the disk reddish-fulvous. Halteres 

 black. Abdomen black, pubescent. Legs black, shining, with a 

 black pubescence ; the femora of the hind-legs somewhat dilated 

 towards the tip. Wings brown, ample ; stigma not noticeable ; 

 veins dark brown. Auxiliary vein joining the costa beyond the 

 proximal end of the first posterior cell ; anterior branch of the 

 third longitudinal vein originating close to the small cross-vein, 

 running parallel with the posterior branch for the greater part of 

 its length, and joining the costa considerably beyond the tip of 

 the first longitudinal vein ; small cross-vein almost opposite, but 

 slightly beyond, the inner end of second posterior cell ; middle 

 cross-vein short, situated very much nearer the base of the fork 

 of the fifth longitudinal vein than to the inner end of the second 

 posterior cell ; sixth longitudinal vein complete. 



Hab. — N.S.W. A single specimen in the collection of the late 

 Mr. W. S. Macleay. 



Obs. — Baron Osten-Sacken (Ann. Mus. Genov., xvi., p. 9, 1881) 

 points out Loew's assertion (Berl. Ent. Zeits., ii., p. 106, 1858) 

 that Crapitula Motschulskii occurs in the greater part of Asia and 

 in European Russia. Plecia melanaspis, Wied., was first described 

 from Java, from whence it has since been obtained by Prof. 

 Beccari. A specimen in the Macleay collection from Nepaul 

 cannot in my opinion be separated from this species. 



