DASTPOGONINAE 



ROBBER FLIES OF THE WORLD 



43 



(1794), brevipennis Meigen (1838), caudatus Bigot 

 (1881), egregius Loew (1869), fdbricii Wiedemann in 

 Meigen (1820), longus Macquart (1838), nigriventris 

 Dufour (1S33), pekinensis Bigot (1878), ruficauda Fa- 

 bricius (1805), tenuis Macquart (1838). These Engel 

 (1930) had apparently not seen as he does not place 

 them in his key with the well known Molobratia teu- 

 tonus Linne (1767) and japonicus Bigot (1878). I 

 prefer to leave them for the present in the aggregate of 

 unclariiied species under Dasypogon. 



I am indebted to H. Oldroyd, well known British 

 dipterist, for calling to my attention the confusion of 

 types for the genera Dasypogon Meigen and Selidopo- 

 gon Bezzi. The type of Dasypogon, Oldroyd points 



out, is Asilus diadema Fabricius (1781) by designation 

 of Latreille (1810), not Asilus teutonus Linne (1767), 

 as commonly considered by authors. The name Selido- 

 pogon Bezzi (1902) represented a change of name from 

 Cheilopogon Bondani (1856) because of preoccupation, 

 which has as its type Asilus punctatus Fabricius, a 

 synonym of Asilus diadema Fabricius. This makes 

 Selidopogon equivalent to Dasypogon Meigen (1803). 

 The asilid which has hitherto gone under the name 

 Dasypogon teutonus Linne is left without a name; as 

 this species shows certain significant differences from 

 the true Dasypogon (Selidopogon of authors) , I here 

 propose a new name for it and characterize it in the 

 foregoing description. 



Tribe Phellini 



The members of this small tribe, containing large 

 and often "giant" species, are characterized by the 

 possession of a spur vein, directed backward in the first 

 submarginal cell from near the base of the anterior 

 branch of the third vein. I regard this spur as a 

 vestige of the third branch of the radius, which at an 

 earlier time was united with the second branch as well 

 as at the same time united with the fourth branch of 

 the radius. The palpus is extraordinarily large and 

 elongate. Further characteristics consist of the simple, 

 generalized type of elongate ovipositor in females, com- 

 prising the sixth and the remaining segments to which 

 Psilozona Bicardo has added a set of short, stubby 



spines reminiscent of those found in certain Asilinae. 

 The end tergites of the male are developed into a for- 

 ceps. The fourth posterior cell is closed and stalked. 



It is interesting that this tribe is confined to Aus- 

 tralia and Chile and, moreover, contains some remark- 

 ably large flies. All the species of Phellus Walker 

 from Australia are large, but one robust species at- 

 tains a length of 50 mm. and a wing span of 80 mm. ; 

 all are reported to be exceptionally alert, agile, and 

 rapid fliers, not easily captured. They seem to be 

 somewhat more abundant, on the basis of collected ma- 

 terial, in the coastal region of West Australia. 



KEY TO GENERA OF PHELLINI 



Palpus half or less than half as long as the proboscis ; apex 

 of midtibia never with lobelike extension. The occiput is 

 long and slender, triangular or cylindroid, comprising the 

 sixth and remaining segments ; its apex has slender bristles 

 only. Large, densely pilose flies with bands of yellow and 

 black pile Obelophobus Schiner 



Palpus as long or nearly as long as the proboscis; apex of 

 midtibia with a lobelike extension ; ovipositor with short, 

 stubby spines 2 



2. Front fully one-third the head width ; midtibial lobe well 

 developed ; ovipositorial spines poorly developed ; size 



extremely large Phellus Walker 



Front one-fourth or less than one-fourth the width of the 

 head ; midtibial lobe poorly developed ; ovipositorial spines 

 well developed and the cylindroid ovipositor considerably 

 wider and relatively shorter. Smaller flies of about 

 20 mm. length Psilozona Ricardo 



Genus Phellus Walker 



Figubes 5, 399, 806, 815, 1644, 1894 



Phellus Walker, Insecta Saundersiana, vol. 1, pt. 2, p. 110, 1851. 

 Type of genus : Phellus glaucus Walker, 1851, by monotypy. 



Exceedingly large flies with robust, tapering abdo- 

 men, long wings, which are very broad at the base and 

 tapering gradually to a somewhat pointed apex. Char- 

 acterized further by the unusually wide head and face, 

 the broad, matted band of occipital and postvertical 

 pile with the matted ventral tufts on the occiput and 

 propleuron and further by the presence of a striking, 

 protrusive, ventral lobe on the middle tibia. They fre- 



quently have much matted woollike pile on the poste- 

 rior border of the mesonotum and sometimes on the first 

 two abdominal segments, besides on the sternites. Be- 

 lated to the Chilean genus Obelophorus Schiner. 

 Length 35 to 50 mm. 



Head, lateral aspect: The face is moderately prom- 

 inent, beginning to expand gradually beneath the an- 

 tenna, but to no great extent. The eyes are strongly 

 convex anteriorly, more gently convex posteriorly and 

 not recessive below either anteriorly or ventrally. Occi- 

 put comparatively thick submarginally, sloping grad- 

 ually to the eye margin. Occiput without bristles, the 

 pile remarkably dense, tufted, coarse but thick, and 



