54 ^^ ACCOUNT OF BRITISH FLIES. 



have the power of climbing up between the leaf-sheath and stem until 

 they find an opening through which the imago can emerge. 



A hard, sharp beak takes the place of the anchor-process, often 

 used by the pupae for cutting an opening through the leaf-sheath. 

 The fly breaks the pupal skin and emerges at the end of twelve or 

 thirteen days. 



The Perfect Insect. — $ Larger than the male. Length 3 mm. 

 Eyes brownish-black ; front of head black, and clothed with dark, 

 long hairs. Palpi yellowish, composed of four joints, partly covered 

 by minute black scales, entirely covering the terminal joint. Antenna 

 yellowish-brown to almost black, composed of seventeen joints, with 

 short, black verticillate hairs.* The first two joints (basal joints) very 

 thick ; the first joint is cup-shaped, the second globular, the next 

 smooth, cylindrical and elongated, gradually becoming smaller and 

 terminating in a long, tapering point, longer than any of the 

 preceding. 



The proboscis is minute and rose-coloured. Thorax black, with 

 gray tints in certain lights, white hairs on the sides, and also scattered 

 on the central region, 



Scutellum black, hairy. Halteres yellowish-pink, with occasional 

 black scales. There is also a light-red line running from the neck to 

 the base of the wing along the side of the thorax. 



The abdomen is pinkish, or yellowish-brown, and is composed of 

 eight segments. The first segment is nearly black, the remainder 

 are marked by a large, square, black spot on each side. These 

 black markings nearly unite on the seventh and eighth segments. 

 The last two segments have a curious V-shaped marking, with two 

 small lines, one on each side of it, and placed on a somewhat darker 

 area than the yellowish colour of the segments.! The ventral sur- 

 face is marked also by a line of black spots running down the centre. 

 The oviduct is pale reddish-yellow, brownish at the tip, and composed- 

 of three joints. The last is pointed, and without lamellae. 



Legs pink to light red, clothed by black, scale-like hairs. Troch- 

 anters black, coxae brown, other joints yellowish-white. 



Wings pink at the base, clothed by black hairs. The second 

 longitudinal vein runs nearly straight, and then bends down and 

 reaches the margin above the apex. 



$ Smaller and more elongated than the female, 2 mm. in length. 

 The antennae are composed of seventeen joints, as in the $ ; they 



* Enock describes the hairs as red. 



t First discovered by Miss Ormerod. Dr. Meade, in his description, say she 

 did not observe this V-shaped mark. 



