Part ii.-descriptions. 



MICRODON. 



Microdon Meigen, in Illiger's Magazine, ii, 275, 1803. 

 Aphritia Latreille, Hist. Nat. Crust, et Ins., xiv, 1804. 

 Cerafojjhi/aWiedemaiiD, Anss. Zw. Ins., ii, 79, 1830. 

 Z)i»iera«pis Newman, Eut. Mag., v, 372, 1838. 

 Mesophila Walker, List, etc., iv, 11.'37, 1849. 

 Uhristes Walker, Insecta Saunders., 217, 1856. 



Rather large, nearly bare species, usually short, thick- set, with short 

 •wings. Head flattened, broad ; the face rounded, pilose, Dot descending 

 much below the eyes. Antennae porrect, approximate at their base, elon- 

 gate, divergent on outer part ; first joint elongate, slender ; second joint 

 the shortest ; third spindle-shaped, as long or longer than the first ; arista 

 short, basal, bare. Eyes usually bare, rarely pilose, broadly separated 

 in the male, but less so than in the female. Thorax short, broad, con- 

 vex. Scutellum large, flat or gently convex, often with a spine or tu- 

 bercle on each j)Osterior angle. Abdomen usually short and broad, 

 turned downward, very convex, nearly bare. Legs short, rather stout, 

 tibiae usually somewhat dilated ; tarsi more or less dilated ; the meta- 

 tarsi elongated, especially the hind pair, which are sometimes extra- 

 ordinarily dilated. Wiugt; short, small ; third vein nearly straight, first 

 posterior cell long petiolate, with a stump of a vein projecting into it 

 from the third vein, near its middle; last section of fourth vein, and 

 the vein closing the discal cell, often with a stump of a vein on the 

 inner side. Type of genus 3L mutabilis Linne, Europe. 



TABLE OF SPECIES. 



1. — Slender, elongate species ; antennae short 2 



Short, thick-set species 3 



2.— Third joint of the antennae a little shorter than the first two together ; wings 



distinctly fasciate baliopterua 



Third joint a little longer than the first two together, wings indistinctly fas- 

 ciate coarctatus 



3.— Hind metatarsi not, or but slightly, in crassate 4 



Hind metatarsi strongly incrassate in the male 5 



4.— Posterior part of the abdomen bright orange-yellow pulcher 



Abdomen without orange-yellow tristis 



3.— Third joint of the antennie longer than the first fuscipennis 



Thiidjoiut not longer than the first globosus 



For other species see descriptions. 



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