Dec, 1918] N ear die Species of the Genus La phria 155 



Laphria gilva Linnaeus. 



Asilus gilviis Linnaeus, C. Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae secundum 

 ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, diflferentiis, synonymis, locis. Ed. 10, 

 1758, genus 227, species 6. (Europe). 



This species, the only one in the Genus Laphria known to 

 be common to Europe and North America, was originally 

 described in the Fauna Suecica, but it is unnecessary to give 

 a citation prior to the tenth edition of the Systema Naturae, the 

 point of beginning of all modern zoological nomenclature. 

 The very brief original characterization of the kind upon which 

 Linnaeus prided himself, is entirely inadequate for recognition 

 of a species of Laphria. I am satisfied of the identity of the 

 North American and European forms of this complex, only 

 because of the very detailed description, especially of the male 

 genitalia, by Dr. William Lundbeck in the Diptera Danica.* 



Laphria bilineata "Barnston's mss." Walker, Francis. List of the specimens 

 of Dipterous Insects in the collection of the British Museum. 4, 1849, p. 1156. 

 (St. Martin's Falls, Albany River, Hudson's Bay). 



It is probable that this name is a synonym of gilva. Walker 

 states : "Each segment from the third to the fifth adorned with 

 a large triangular ferruginous spot, which is clothed with bright 

 tawny hairs." Only two species of the general aspect of gilva 

 are thus far known from the Nearctic region and one of those 

 (L. aimatis n. sp.) has segments six and seven involved in the 

 ferruginous area. 



Description: Mystax black; surface above and at sides of facial 

 prominence, silvery pruinose, and bearing decumbent silvery pile; 

 beard silvery; hair of occiput mixed black and whitish. Disk of thorax 

 with the following grayish pruinose markings; a longitudinally divided 

 median vitta, and two lateral elliptical areas, rather acute posteriorly. 

 Pile of thorax, fine, rather erect, mixed black and whitish. Bristles 

 on sides of thorax and edge of scutellum black. First three abdominal 

 segments and part of fourth with white pile, long and conspicuous at 

 sides. Remainder of abdomen with rather recumbent pile, black except 

 upon a median spot (of varying shape) upon segments 4-6, where the 

 integument as well as the pile is ferruginous to golden. Traces of this 

 pile occur in some specimens upon the -segments 3 and 7. Legs with 

 long black bristles, and long soft black and whitish hairs, those of 

 coxae, undersides of legs in general and of venter whitish. Wings 

 smoky hyaline, clearer toward base. Male forceps, each with two 

 lamellate appendages, of which one is median, broad (about equally 



* Lundbeck, William. Diptera Danica, Genera and species of flies hitherto 

 found in Denmark 2, 1908, pp. 49-51. 



