Empididae. 41 



Female. Frons about twice as broad as in the male, with a 

 distinct, impressed middle line. Abdonien light grey, quite short- 

 haired ; hind femora simple, and the legs short-haired and without 

 bristles; the dense, short pubescence on the ventral side of the 



Fig. 7. Wing of Rh. nigripes 9. 



posterior femora wanting. The wings have the discai cell magnitied 

 and drawn out near to the posterior margin, the lower of the closing 

 cross-veins parallel with the hind margin. The rest quite as in 

 the male. 



Length 5,5—6,5 mm. 



The pupa is dirty yellowish; it has a length of 6 mm. 



This species is easily recognised by the colouring of the thorax, 

 the pilosity of the hind legs in the male and the shape of the discai 

 cell in the female. 



Bh. nigripes is not at all a common species in Denmark; Erme- 

 lund, Frederiksdal, Ruderhegn, Birkerød, Tyvekrog. It occurs often 

 near water. It is a spring species, my dates are '^^lr> — -^^/e; on this 

 latter date I took it at Frederiksdal, it was flying over and near a 

 streamlet (Lyngby Aa) rather high in the air; several pairs were 

 taken in copula, and it was taken with Hilara maura, which was 

 swarming in great numbers over the water, as prey. The pupa was 

 taken in Ermelund in a mole cast on ^-'/s, it developed on -'^'/r.. 



Geographical distribution : — Northern and middle Europe down 

 into France; towards the north to northern Scandinavia; and in 

 Finland. 



o. Rh. spissirostris Fall. 



1815. Fall. Dipl. Suec. Emp. 31, 38 (Empis). — 1822. Meig. Syst. 

 Beschr. III, 57, 31. — 1S42. Zett. Dipt. Scand. I, 390, 2, et 1849. VIII, 

 3031, 2. — 1862. Schin. F. A. I, 97. — 1903. Kat. palåarkt. Dipt. II, 

 230. — Empis nodipes: 1815. Fall. Dipt. Suec. Emp. 25, 22. 



Male. Eyes separated; frons very narrow, blacklsh, towards the 

 antennæ greyish, with erect hairs. Epistoma grey. Occiput grey with 

 yellow hairs, towards the vertex intermingled with some black ones. 



