MELITHREPTUS. 399 



These flies especially frequent sweet-scented flowers ; their 

 movements are slow. The yellow marks on the abdomen are 

 very variable. The larvae feed on Aphides. 



1. scriptus,L.fn.i. 1091(1749); Fb.; LL; Mg.; Mq.; Lw.; Ztt.— 



gemmatns, Spl. ? — menthastri var., Fin. iEneus, capite antennis tho- 

 racis lateribus scutelloque flavis, peristomate pnncto nir/ro, alis sub- 

 cinereis, ahdomine fasciis quatuor Jlavis prima et rpiarta subinterruptis, 

 peiVihus jlavis . Long. 4-5 ; alar. 7-8 lin. 



/t]neous. Head, antennae, sides of the thorax, and scutellum yellow. 

 Teridoma loith a black dot. Maxiflge nearly as long as the palpi. Palpi 

 subclavate, half the lengtli of the labium. Wings slightly grey. Hal- 

 teres tawny. Abdomen wltli four ydloio bands. Legs yellow. Male. 

 Bands of the abdomen broad ; first sometimes interrupted ; second and 

 third rarely interrupted ; third slightly notched ; fourth deeply notched, 

 intersected by a black stripe. Fem. Bands narroio ; third notched ; fourth 

 irregular and interrupted. 



Generally distributed. (E. S. I.) 



3. menthastri, L. s. n. ih 987. 53 (1767); Dg. ; Fb. ; Sph ; 

 Shr. ; Rsi. ; LI. ; Fin. ; Mg. ; Mq. ; Ztt. iEneus, capite antennis 

 thoracis lateiibus scutelloque flavis, epistomate linea media fusca, alis 

 subcinereis, abdomine fasciis quatuor flavis interruptis secunda integra, 

 pedibus flavis. Long. 3^-4 ; alar. 6-7 lin. 



i^Eneous. Head, antennae, sides of the thorax, and scutellum yellow. 

 Epistoma with a brown stripe. Wings slightly grey. Halteres tawny. 

 Abdomen with four luteous bands. Legs yeUow. Male. Bands broad, 

 more or less interrupted and shortened ; very rarely entire ; fourth more 

 or less marked loith black. Femora rarely black totcards the base. Fem. 

 Bands narrow, interrupted, sometimes entire ; hind borders of the segments 

 edged icith yellow. 



Generally distributed, (E. S. I.) 



3. tseniatus, Mg. ! zw. iii. 325. 71. pi. 30. f. 55(1822) ; Mq. ; Lw.; 

 Ztt. — menthastri var.. Fin. /Eneus, capite thoracis lateribus scutello- 

 que flav'is, antennis fulvis, alis sublimpidis, abdomine fasciis quatuor 

 luteis leviter ernarginatis, pechbus flavis ; Mas. pei'istomatis margine an- 

 guste nigro, femoribus basi nigris ; Fosm. peristomate j^uncto nigro. Long. 

 4 ; alar. 6 lin. 



Metallic green. Head, scutellum, and sides of thorax yeUow. An- 

 tennae tawny. Wings almost colourless. Halteres luteous. Abdomen 

 with four broad entire luteous bands ; the fourth occupying the whole 

 of the last segment, slightly spotted with black. Legs yellow. Male. 

 Fore border of the peristoma with a narrow black band. Femora black 

 totcards the base. Fem. Peristoma with a black dot. 



Generallv distributed. (E. S. I.) 



