432. 

 ERISTALIS NUBILIPENNI 



Order Dipteni. Fam. Syrphitl \ 

 Type of the Genus, Mimca. tenax Linn. 

 Ekistalis Fab., Meig., Curt. — Syrphus Fab., Panz. — Elophiliis Lat. 

 — Musca Linn. 



Jnfenncp attached to a small tubercle on the forehead, approxi- 

 mating, niitant, 4-jointed, basal joint small oblong, 2nd short 

 pilose, irregularly cup-shaped, 3rd large ovate- quadrate, 4th a 

 seta, rather short and stout, either naked, or ciliated on each 

 side with long hairs a little beyond the middle (3). 

 Labnimlong and notched at the apex (lb). Tongue nearly 

 as long as the labrum, very acute (c), Maxilltc considerably 

 shorter, curved and pointed (e). Palpi a little longer, slender, 

 slightly pilose, apparently articulated towards the apex (/). 

 Lip very long and large horny at the base, terminated by 2 large 

 fleshy and hairy lobes {g) . 

 Trophi received into a cavity at the bottom of the face. Head trigo- 

 nate,face slightly concave, leaving a small tubercle at the top (2). 

 Eyea very pubescent, converging above in the males (2 *), somewhat 

 remote in the females. Ocelli 3 in triangle. Thorax globose-quadrate. 

 Scutellum hemispherical. Abdomen subconical. Wings (9) diva- 

 ricating. Halteres small and. capitate, concealed under the large 

 alulcc. Thighs, posterior the longest. Tibiae, posterior curved, some- 

 times considerably dilated. Tarsi ,^i -jointed, basal joint the longest, 

 espcciallu in the posterior pair, penultimate crescent-shaped, terminal 

 one small and trigonate. Claws small. Pulvilli dilated, bilobed 

 (8 t, hind leg). 

 Larvse with a long slender tail, living in stagnant water, privies, S)C. 



NtBiMPENNis Curt. Guide, Gen. 124G. 9. 



Female shining chalybeous-black, pilose, margin of eyes and face 

 silvery, excepting a black stripe down the middle of the latter : 

 antennas and the spot of their insertion entirely ferruginous ; 

 seta pubescent 5 the pile on the crown of the head, thorax, scu- 

 tellum and base of abdomen bright ferruginous ; scutellum of 

 the same colour but duller ; abdomen with 2 large subtrigonate 

 rufous spots at the base, the margins of 3 segments yellow, the 

 pile except at the base ochreous : wings with a broad space 

 along the costa yellowish brown, terminating a little beyond the 

 middle and forming a darker cloud : legs bright ferruginous, 

 anterior thighs at the base and tips of tarsi black. 

 In the Cabinets of Mr. Dale, Mr. Morris, and the Author. 



These insects are fond of flowers, especially the Thistle, Dan- 

 delion, and Sunflower, on which they are frequently seen, and 

 so much resemble bees in form and colour, that at a little di- 

 stance one may be easily mistaken for the other; indeed I have 

 had some difficulty to convince persons totally ignorant of 

 Entomology, that the Eristales were not bees : and it is further 



