Subfamily Asilinae 



This subfamily presents a conglomerate of many 

 closely related groups and a very large number of spe- 

 cies. Several dipterists have expressed doubt as to the 

 wisdom of recognizing so many obviously closely related 

 names. While the wisdom involved in their original 

 creation may possibly be dubious, these names are not 

 apt to be abandoned, because they serve a useful pur- 

 pose. Fossil flies of this division date back to the 

 Eocene, but numerous, closely related, present day 

 groups suggest that many of them are of Recent origin. 

 These flies are almost without exception active, agile and 

 very successful, as indicated by their abundance. 



I have found no satisfactory groupings into tribal re- 

 lationships, except the segregation of the Ommatius 

 Wiedemann group, distinguished by the pectinate 

 arista and chitinous postmetacoxal arch. There are a 

 number of other well marked groups, and certain trends 

 may be observed, such as the groups Promachus Loew, 

 Nerax, new genus, Neolophonotus Engel and Dysma- 

 chus Loew. The Australian "giant" species of Ble- 

 pharotes Westwood are remarkable and doubtless 



archaic, yet it is difficult to fijid any adequate basis for 

 separation into tribal status. 



It is interesting to note the subsequent disposition of 

 the 15 species placed in the genus Asiliis by Linne. 

 Asilus crdbroniformis is the type of genus of Asilus 

 and of the family Asilidae. Asilus barbarus is a recog- 

 nizable species of this group from Europe; 3 others, 

 Asilus forcipatus, lusitanicus and maurus are generally 

 considered imrecognizable, at least with any certainty. 

 Of the remainder, Asilus germanicus is the type of 

 genus of Pamponerus Loew; Asilus atrum the type of 

 AndrenosoTTia Rondani ; and his Asilus gibbosa becomes 

 the type of Laphria Meigen, with 3 other species, Asilus 

 gllva, flava, and marginata all placed in the genus La- 

 phria. The Asilus teutonus Linne, long considered the 

 type of genus of Dasypogon Meigen, now becomes the 

 type of Molobratia Hull; his Asilus oelandica is the 

 type of Dioctria Meigen; and his Asilus algirus the 

 type of Apoclea Macquart. The Asilus aestuans of 

 Linne now becomes the type of Nerax, new genus {Erax 

 of authors). 



Tribe Ommatini 



The members of this tribe are readily i-ecognized by 

 the closed marginal cell and the plumose style and the 

 presence of a complete arch of cliitin behind the pos- 

 terior coxae. Such an arch of chitin is characteristic 

 of the Atomosini in the subfamily of Laphriinae and in 

 the genus Rhabdogaster Loew in the Dasypogoninae. 

 While there are few genera included in this tribe, the 

 one genus Ommatius Wiedemann is widely distributed 



and contains a very large nimiber of species. They ap- 

 pear to be much more numerous in the Asian and Ethi- 

 opian regions and are plentiful in parts of Australia. 

 Oddly, no species is known from Europe but one is 

 described from the Island of St. Sebastian, others from 

 Egypt and Arabia. Several species are known from 

 the Nearctic and Neotropical regions. 



KEY TO GENERA OF OMMATINI 



1. Third antennal segment short, approximately as long as 



either first or second segment. Arista long. Plumes of the 



arista in two ranks or one 2 



Third antennal segment 2 to 6 times as long as the combined 

 length of the first 2 segments, fnsiformed and tapered. 

 Arista short, the plumes concentrated irregularly about the 

 short apical arista. Postmetasternum below and beMnd 

 the posterior coxa completely chitinized. 



MicHOTAMiA Macquart 



2. Hind femur below and near the base with a strong, rounded 



tooth. Third antennal segment as long as the combined 

 length of the first 2 segments . . . Merodontina Enderlein 

 No blunt, projecting tooth below the hind femur. Third an- 

 tennal segment usually shorter 3 



535914— 6a— pt. 2- 



3. A tuft of stiff hairs placed medial to the halter and below the 



metanotal callosity. Aristal plumes in 1 row. Face broad, 

 densely and bristly pilose, especially below. Discal cell 

 narrowed apically, the second posterior cell widened 

 basally. Scutellum with a pair of stout, long, marginal 

 bristles. Female eighth sternite with a deep, medial cleft 

 and conspicuous lateral process .... Cophinopoda Hull 

 No such tuft of hairs present beneath the metanotal cal- 

 losity 4 



4. Abdomen rather short, the distal part clublike, the base mod- 



erately constricted, and plvmies of style in 2 ranks. 



Emphtsomeea Schlner 

 Abdomen elongate and not clubbed or basally constricted . . 5 



5. Plumes of style in 2 ranks. . . . Ommatitts Wiedemann 

 Plumes of style in one rank (subgenus of Ommatius Wiede- 

 mann.) Metommatius, new subgenus 



433 



