30 CYRTIDAE OF NORTH AMERICA 



Lasia scribae 



Lasia scribae O. S., Biologia, Dipt., i, p. 166, (1887). 



Male. "Thorax metallic green, with violet reflections, abdomen metallic 

 violet, with bluish and greenish reflections towards the end; legs black; antennae 

 broken but probably black; wings with a brownish tinge. Length, 17-18 mm. ; 

 proboscis, 18 mm. 



"Hab. Guatemala (coll. O. S.). 



"In one of the specimens the violet (amethystine) reflections on the thorax 

 takes distinctly the shape of stripes — in the middle a pair of longitudinal 

 stripes, abbreviated behind, and, on each side, another stripe, abbreviated in 

 front; in the other specimen these stripes are not so distinctly marked. The 

 surface of the thorax and abdomen are finely but densely punctate. A pale 

 yellow, more or less recumbent pubescence is visible principally on the anterior 

 half of the thorax and on the last two segments of the abdomen; on the pleurae 

 are more dense and villose pale j-ellow hairs; some stiff black hairs among the 

 yellow ones on the thorax, especially around the root of the wings and the base 

 of the scutellum. The pubescence of the eyes is a generic character. The 

 tarsi, especially on the under side, are beset with short rufous hairs, so much so 

 that the hind pair appears rufous, although the ground color is black. Tegulae 

 yellowish-brown with a black margin. Wings with a uniform pale brownish 

 tinge, with black veins; the second vein ending in the first close before its tip; 

 the anterior branch of the third vein reaching the costa at the tip of the first 

 vein. Two specimens (the one is a male, the other has the end of the abdo- 

 men injured). I dedicate this species to Dr. Scriba, who kindly gave me the 

 specimens. 



"N. B. — The venation of this species differs from that of the Lasia e whose 

 wings have been figured by Wiedemann,^ or by Guerin:* the second vein ending 

 in the first, and not in the costa, and the anterior branch of the third vein reach- 

 ing the costa at the very end of the first vein. 



"That the venation in the genus Lasia is not always the same is proved by 

 L. klettii O. S. in which the second vein reaches the costa at the end of the first. 

 The species is from Arizona, and not unlike L. scribae in its general appearance." 



Lasia auricoma Westwood, from Brazil, to judge from the de- 

 scription, may resemble L. scribae; but it is only half an inch long; 

 the tarsi are said to be ''lutei," the tegulae "chalybae." 



Two male specimens in the Kansas University collection answer 

 the description of Lasia scribae. These two specimens are deter- 

 mined Lasia kletti O. S. and have a label ''det. S. W. Williston." 

 They are very probably the two mentioned above under L. klettii, 

 on which Dr. Williston published in these Transactions. The 

 larger specimen answers the description on L. scribae almost per- 



6 Ausser. Zwcifl. Ins. i. t. 4. f. 3. and ii. t. 9. f. 2. 

 » Iconogr. t. 94. f. 9. 



