76 Orthorrhapha brachycera. 



the apex on the anterior and posterior sides; front tibiæ with some 

 bristles dorsally, and with fine, longish hairs ventrally; middle tibiæ 

 with bristles on the various sides; hind tibiæ with two dorsal and 

 one anterior row of somewhat strong bristles. Tarsi short-haired, 

 anterior tarsi with fine hairs below as on the tibiæ; all tarsi spinulous 

 beneath, the hind metatarsi with a few bristly hairs above. All 

 bristles black; the ordinary elothing on the legs blackish or brown, 

 somewhat dense, and rather conspicuous. Wings more or less brownish 

 tinged; veins brown, anal vein distinct, reaching the margin. Stigma 

 brown, distinct. Balteres darker or paler yellow. 



Female. Eyes separated, frons and epistoma grey. Thorax grey, 

 without distinct stripes. Abdomen grey or more or less brownish; 

 the hairs on thorax a little shorter, those on abdomen much shorter 

 than in the male. Legs as in the male and mainly haired in the 

 same way, but the bristles are shorter and less numerous and there 

 are no bristles on the dorsal and posterior sides of the anterior 

 femora, and no longish hairs below the front legs. Wings hyaline or 

 very slightly tinged. Stigma faint, yellowish. Halteres whitish or 

 pale yellow. 



Length 3,5 — 4,2 mm. 



This species is easily distinguished by the strong pilosity of thorax, 

 and the strong bristles at the hind margins of the abdominal segments 

 in the male; also the colour distinguishes it; from culicina it is at 

 once distinguished by the absence of acrostichal bristles. 



Ril. variabilis is common in Denmark; Geel Skov, Ruderhegn, 

 Vedbæk; on Funen at Odense and Veflinge and in Jutland at Rye 

 near Silkeborg, Hald near Viborg, Holstebro in great numbers, at 

 Gjerlev near Randers Fjord and at Hobro. It is a somewhat late 

 occurring species, my dates are from the last part of July to ^■'l9. It 

 occurs generally in low herbage, but otherwise on different localities, 

 both somewhat humid and dry, and also on sandy piaces, and both 

 in woods and outside. 



Geographical distribution : — Northern and middle Europe down 

 into France; towards the north to middle Sweden, being rare farther 

 north; and in Finland. 



Remarks: I have determined this species as variabilis FalL, but 

 for the rest I think it beyond doubt, that this and tenuirostris Fall. 

 are identical. I have seen specimens of both species from Zetter- 

 stedt's collection, and I find no difference, not even in the length of 

 the proboscis. Already Fallen seems to have had some doubt about 

 the species, as he says that he can scarcely distinguish them; the 

 only character given by Fallen, Zetterstedt and Meigen is the length 



