64 LEPTID^.. 



Genus I. LEPTIS. 



Leptis, Fb. s. a. (1805); Mg. ; LI.; Fin.; Mq. ; Ztt.; Lw.; Gmtl. 

 Musca ])., h.; Gm.; Shr. Nemotehis i:).,'Dg. Rhagio ^.,Yh.; Shr. ; 

 Mg. kl. ; Pz. ; LI. 



Corpus majoris vel medise magnitudinis, parum pubescens, elongatum, 

 posterius attenuatum. Color obscurus, ferrugineus, vel cinereus. 

 Oculi ccnei aut virescentes, uuicolores. Antennce articido tertlo 

 conico vel rotundo ; quarto longo. Areola analis aperta. Abdomen 

 pleruraque tlavcscens, subpeUucidum, fasciis vel punctis obscuris, 

 Mas. Oculi conjunct!. Anus obtusus. 

 Fcem. Oculi remoti. Anus acuniinatus. 



Body rather narrow, tapering, grey, ferruginous or black, of large 

 or of middle size, rarely small. Head semicircular, somewhat depressed 

 in front ; epistoma with 3 deep furrows, which are somewhat curved 

 downward at the base of the antennae. Eyes generally green ; all 

 the facets small. Ocelli 3, on the crown. Proboscis and palpi pro- 

 jecting. Labrum lanceolate, stout, rather short, obliquely truncate at 

 the tip. Lingua slender, very flexible, almost membranous, nearly 

 as long as the labrimi. Maxillse slender, acute, as long as the labrum. 

 Palpi subfusiform, biarticulate, very lai-ge, decumbent, curved, much 

 longer than the maxiUse. Labium very thick, short, cylindrical, furrowed 

 above. Antennae 4-jointed, small, porreot, approximate, seated in the 

 middle of the face ; first and second joints bristly ; first short, cylin- 

 drical ; second cyathiform ; third transverse ; fourth setiform, pubescent, 

 much longer than the 3 preceding. Thorax globose, with a scapula on 

 each shoulder, and with a transverse suture, which is interi'upted 

 beneath ; most often with 3 or 4 darker stripes. Wings lanceolate, 

 moderately large, finely pubescent, diverging ; anal areolet open. 

 Alulse smaU, entire. Halteres uncovered. Abdomen long, obconical 

 or tapering, pubescent, with 7 segments. Legs slender, moderately 

 long ; tibise amied with 3 spui's ; tarsi with 3 onychia. 

 Male. Eyes contiguous above. Abdomen obtuse. 

 Feyn. Eyes remote. Abdomen attenuated towards the tip ; 3 apicnl 

 segments tubuliform, retractile. 



These flies appear in summer, and dwell in meadows, hedges, 

 thickets, and woods, and the larger and most common species 

 may be often seen on the trunks of trees, sitting with their 

 heads downward ; they sometimes feed on smaller insects. Their 

 larvse live in the earth, in sand, in manure, and in decayed 

 wood. The pupa of L. scolopacea is brown, cylindiical, bare, 

 with 11 segments, of which the 5 posterior are furnished with 

 a series of little teeth. 



