SYNOPSIS OF NORTH AMERICAN SYRPHID^. 141 



at the tip. Wiiigs pure bjaliue; stigiuayellovvisb-biowu ; the auterior 

 cross- veiu, furcation of second and third longitudinal veins, and veins 

 at base of discal and last posterior cells narrowly clouded with deep 

 brown. 



This species resembles V. avida, but differs in the greater size, in the 

 cheeks not being wholly black, in the black of the abdomen being obso- 

 lete in the middle, and iii the third antenna! joint being longer ; the 

 Iront of the female, also, is narrower above. The profile of the face in 

 the male is probably straighter and less receding in its lower part than 

 in the female. 



Volucella vesiculosa. (Plate VI, fig. 1, la.) 

 Syrphns vcsiculosus Fabricius, System Antl., 226, 11. 



VolnceUa vesiculosa Wiedemann, Anss. Zw. Ins., ii, 201, 11; Macquart, Dipt. Exot. 3e 

 Siipp]., 39; tab. iv, fig. 3. 



Habitat. — Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maryland, Kentucky, Florida I, 

 South America. 



S ,9 . Length, 9 to 10™"". Head reddish-yellow j eyes of male con- 

 tiguous for a long distance, the frontal triangle very small. AnteunsB 

 reddish-yellow, third joint long, a little broader at its base, but not 

 excised on either border; arista about twice the length of joint, long 

 plumose above, short below. Face considerably excavated below the 

 antennae, with a rounded protuberance, distinctly concave imraediatel.y 

 below; pile of face short, rather sparse, white. Dorsum of tliorax bril- 

 liant purple-colored, with a cobalt blue reflection, the front border, hu- 

 meri, and sometimes the sides, yellow. Scutellum more yellowish, 

 except on the dorsum, where it is more or less brilliant, like the tho- 

 racic dorsum. The pile of the thorax is sparse, black; along the late- 

 ral sutures, the i^ost-alar callosities, and border of the scuteJlum with 

 rather long, very distinct black bristles. Abdomen a beautiful brilliant 

 purple, or coppery red, with the cobalt reflection; the first segment, 

 and the anterior part of the second (more broadly in the middle) yellow- 

 ish- wliite, subtranslucent ; pile very short, rather abundant, whitish. 

 Legs luteous, except the basal two thirds or more of all the femora, and 

 the terminal portion of the tibice and tip of tarsi, which are black or 

 brown. Wings hyaline, a faint spot at tip of the auxiliary vein ; anterior 

 cross-vein rectangular, close to base of discal cell. 



Five specimens. 



Volucella sexpunctata. (Plate VI, fig. 2.) 



Volucella sexpunctaia Loew, Wien. Ent. Monatschr., v, 38; id., Centur., vi, 37. 



Habitat. — Florida!, Cuba(Lw.). 



5,2. Length, 8 to 9°™. Allied to V. vesiculosa. Yellow and lu- 

 teous, moderateh' shining. Front, except the vertex, black pilose, face 

 considerably produced, shining, below the antennae lightly pollinose, 

 protuberance large, obtuse; pile short, whitish. Pectus black, or with 

 four black spots. Dorsum of thorax more reddish or brownish above, 



