LAPHKI1NAB 



ROBBER FLIES OF THE WORLD 





tral bulblike process. Hypandrium short and recessed 

 or absent. Female terminalia short and conical. 



Distribution : Ethiopian : Anypodetus fasciatus Her- 

 mann (1907) ; fascipennis Engel (1924) ; maculipennis 

 Ricardo (1925) ; nigri fades Ricardo (1925) ; semirufus 

 Engel (1924). 



Genus Sporadothrix Hermann 



Sporadothrix Hermann, Denkschr. med.-natur. Ges. Jena, vol. 

 13, p. 166, 1908. Type of genus : Sporadothrix gracilis Her- 

 mann, 1908, by original designation. 



The following data on this genus are taken from 

 Hermann's description. 



The author states that this genus is based on a -well 

 preserved, unique individual, except for the wing, con- 

 cerning which no details can be obtained. The author 

 goes on to express the hope that in basing a new genus 

 on such a damaged specimen that his description and 

 illustrations will suffice for recognition. 



This interesting species belongs to that relatively un- 

 common group of Dasypogoninae which completely 

 lack pulvilli. Hermann compares it to Acnephalum 

 Macquart, Sisyrnodytes Loew, Lasiocnemus Loew, Eus- 

 celida Westwood, Dicranus Loew, Anarolius Loew, 

 Aolautus Loew, none of which he finds are related to 

 Sporadothrix. He also compares it with Rhadinus 

 Loew. He finds that Sporadothrix separates itself 

 from Rhadinus by the unusual bareness of the thorax 

 and abdomen and also by the fact that the first tarsal 

 segment is scarcely longer than the second one. He 

 finds that it agrees in many respects with Psilinus 

 Wulp, but besides the greatly denuded aspect he calls 

 attention to the restriction of the stout mystax to the 

 lower third of the face. According to Hermann Spora- 

 dothrix is characterized in the following manner 

 (translation) : 



The whole aspect is slender, the whole body, with exception 

 of the sternopleuron with extensive, scattered, almost bristle- 

 like hair ; although it appears to be strongly covered with hair, 

 this is only the result of the length and thickness of the hairs 

 rather than its density. Face narrowed towards the front and 

 vertex ; it is as broad as the diameter of one of the protruding 

 eyes which have very large, central facets. The head appears in 

 consequence of the wide face to be twice as wide as high. 

 (Scheitel nur in massiger Weise eingestelt). Ocellar tubercle 

 relatively weak. The whole lower face to a less degree is uni- 

 formly arched, without any real protuberance ; the mystax 

 reaches up to base of antenna but leaves clear a medial, oblong 

 area. Proboscis straight and blunt. Palpi cylindrical and with 

 strong bristles. First antennal segment very short, the second 

 segment twice as long and both quite strongly covered with hair. 

 The third segment is one and one-half times as long as both basal 

 segments together, relatively slender and at least thinner than 

 the preceding segments; on its base the third segment is 

 rounded like a sphere and is extended forward like a thin staff, 

 to which is joined a relatively long end segment; of this end 

 segment (Endgriffcl) the basal segment is short, but the termi- 

 nal segment is blunt yet has considerable length. Abdomen 

 four times as long as the thorax, slender and somewhat nar- 

 rowed apically. Male genitalia is spear-like, without other 

 peculiarities. Legs quite robust ; the hind legs are stronger but 



347 



without any particular thickening. On all the legs the meta- 

 tarsus is as long as the three following segments together ■ last 

 segment as long as the metatarsus, the claws strong, without 

 pulvilli. 



Distribution. Ethiopian: Sporadothrix qracilis 

 Hermann (1908). 



This genus, described by Hermann from the Kalahari 

 Desert suggests in some ways the genus Anypodetus 

 Hermann, which he described at the same time from 

 that desert and which also lacks pulvilli and has a 

 characteristic bare, denuded aspect. 



Genus Dasylechia Williston 



Figubes 279, 629, 1210, 1214, 2133, 2159, 2161 



Dasylechia 'Williston, Journ. New York Ent. Soc, vol. 15, p. 

 1, 1907. Type of genus : Byperechia atroa Williston, 1884^ by 

 original designation. 



Large, exceptionally robust, humblebee-like flies, 

 rather readily distinguished by the enormously swollen 

 and clavate second palpal segment, the very short, swol- 

 len and robust proboscis and the dense, long, coarse 

 pilose cover of the broad face. The single known 

 species is very rarely found. It may be considered a 

 phylogeront. Length 27 mm. 



Head, lateral aspect: The head including the face 

 is rather long. The face is prominent throughout the 

 middle and below, gently convex and receding some- 

 what towards the base of the antenna. The occiput 

 is tumid and thick except near the vertex; it slopes 

 from the lower eye margin rather strongly so that it 

 is thickest sublaterally. The pile is quite dense and 

 coarse and covers the whole posterior surface. Bris- 

 tles are absent but the pile becomes stouter and stiffer 

 above. The eye is short, high, and greatly flattened 

 in front. Proboscis short, not extending beyond the 

 face, but extremely robust throughout, with a promi- 

 nent, triangular carina; the apex is truncate with 

 many short, bristly hairs directed outward. There is 

 a dense, basilateral tuft of long, bristly pile. Palpus 

 clearly of two segments; the first is excavated and 

 bears bristly hairs below; the second is greatly swol- 

 len, almost as wide as the proboscis, short, rounded 

 apically, and microporate; this segment bears very 

 dense, long, slender bristles on all sides except the 

 medial. Antenna attached at the upper fifth of the 

 head; the front is almost eliminated. The antenna is 

 only moderately elongate, shorter than the head, the 

 first segment is as long as the second, but much more 

 robust and swollen, bearing numerous, mostly pale and 

 chiefly lateral, bristly hairs, many of them quite long, 

 and some of them dorsal or ventral. The second seg- 

 ment is more slender, especially towards the base, with 

 3 or 4 similar, long, slender bristles at the apex above 

 and below. The third segment is about as long as the 

 first two combined; it is only a little wider than the 

 second, the greatest width lies before the middle, the 



