c:26 



337. 

 BERIS GENICULATA. 



Order Diptera. Fam. Xylophagidae. Xylophagi Meig. 

 Type of the Genus, Musca clavipes Linn. 



Beris Lat., Meig. — Stratiomys Panz. — Actina Meig. — Musca Liiin., 

 Fab. 



Antennce inserted in the centre of the face, approximating, some- 

 times a little longer than the head, porrected, divaricating, pu- 

 bescent, 10-jointed, 1st and 2nd joints pilose, nearly of equal 

 length, the latter the broadest at the apex, the remainder forming 

 an elongated claveola robust at the base and tapering to the 

 apex, 3rd joint the largest, ovate-truncate, 4th 5th and (ith cup- 

 shaped, 7th a little longer, 8th and 9th oblong, 10th elongate- 

 ovate (3). 



Labrum very short broad and hollovv, emarginate at the apex, 

 the sides thickened (1* b). 



Tongue horny rather longer than the labrum and acuminated 

 (l*c). 



Mandibles and Maxillce none. 



Labium large, fleshy, bilobed and pilose externally (1, g). 

 Head hemispherical. Eyes large, contiguous and covering nearhj the 

 whole head in the males, remote in the females (2*). Ocelli 3, 

 forming a triangle near the base of the head ; placed on a tubercle 

 in the males. Thorax subovate, the neck short. Scutellum rounded, 

 producing 6 or 8 spines (10 a, and 10). Abdomen very flat, more 

 or less tongue-shaped, the apex furnished with 4 appendages in the 

 males (J), with two in the females (7*). Wings horizontal and de- 

 cumbent in repose, with a rhomboid cell near the disc, and an oblique 

 nervure near the apex. Hal teres with an oval club. Thighs and 

 tih'iie simple. Tarsi 5-jointed, basal joint long, the others short, the 

 penultimate the shortest ; the posterior tarsi are generally incrassated, 

 especially the basal joint in the males. 



Geniculata Hal. MSS. 



Male. Black, shining and pubescent : thorax metallic green; 

 scutellum producing 6 spines : abdomen with a slight chalibeous 

 tint: wings iridescent, brown, especially at the costa ; stigma 

 blacki.sh ; halleres ochreous, black in the middle : tips of thighs 

 and base of tibiae ochreous. 



Female Abdomen shining black : wings pale fuscous, yellowish 

 at the costa ; stigma dark brown: halteres entirely ochreous : 

 apex of thighs, base and tips of the tibiae and base of anterior 

 tarsi ochreous. 



In the Author's and other Cabinets. 



Latreille has included this family with his Stratiomydae, to 

 which it appears to me to be closely allied ; but Meigen con- 



