LAPHH11NAE 



ROBBER FLIES OF THE WORLD 



361 



Text-Figure 23. — Hyperechia consimilis Wood. 



the dorsal and posterior mesopleuron, the pteropleuron, 

 the posterior hypopleuron and a wide band on the meta- 

 pleuron with dense, long pile. Mesopleuron without 

 bristles ; metanotal slopes micropubescent only ; tegula 

 is pubescent only or may have some short, stiff setae ; 

 lateral metasternum with only short, scanty pile ; ven- 

 tral metasternum with abundant long pile; postmeta- 

 coxal areas membranous. 



Legs : All the femora and tibiae are especially stout ; 

 the hind femur is only moderately swollen and is plane 

 ventrally ; the hind tibia is proportionately rather more 

 swollen and more or less arcuate, with concave ventral 

 surface and strongly arched dorsal surface. All the 

 femora and tibiae have a dense brush of long, stiff hairs 

 on all surfaces but it is much longer on the dorsal and 

 ventral surfaces ; the dorsal surfaces of the first 2 or 3 

 basitarsal segments have a long, similar brush of pile 

 in decreasing length. Bristles are virtually absent ; all 

 tarsi end in slender, sharp claws, chiefly bent at the 

 apex, long, well developed pulvilli and slender em- 

 podium, bladelike but swollen at the base. 



Wings: The wings are characterized by their basal 

 breadth and apical pointed form ; the marginal cell is 

 closed, the anterior branch of the third vein is sigmoid, 

 bent backward, ending a short distance before the wing 

 apex ; the posterior branch ends far to the rear. First 

 posterior cell narrowed throughout its length, closed 



with a short or long stalk in 11 species before me. 

 Fourth posterior and anal cells closed with a long 

 stalk; alula quite large, extremely long but short at the 

 base ; ambient vein complete. 



Abdomen: The abdomen is very broad and robust 

 and only gently convex; it is shining, with extremely 

 short, scanty, fine, setate pile ; in some species the pile 

 is almost absent on the last four tergites. In one group 

 of species the first two or three tergites have dense mats 

 of coarse, opaque, light colored pile obscuring the 

 ground color. Lateral margins of all of the tergites 

 characteristically with a dense fringe of long, rather 

 fine pile. In the male six tergites are present; there 

 may be a trace of the seventh but only laterally. Seven 

 tergites present in the female, the seventh tergite from 

 a half to two-thirds the length of the sixth. Slender 

 bristles are present on the first tergite, obscured by 

 pile and absent on remaining tergites. Male terminalia 

 large and conspicuous; the basal, bowllike portion or 

 epandrium is fused but has a distinct, medial seam 

 throughout its length; this piece carries a more narrow, 

 troughlike extension; males are rotate one-half. 

 Female terminalia long, laterally compressed and trun- 

 cate apically, bearing numerous, stiff hairs apically; 

 the shorter ventral processes are sometimes hidden. 



Distribution: Ethiopian: Hyperechia albifasciata 

 Enderlein (1930) ; lifasciata Griinberg (1907) ; lorn- 



