Empididae. 121 



ventral lamella at the base. Legs black; coxæ slightly pruinose, front 

 and hind metatarsi somewhat slightly thickened. Middle femora with 

 a row of bristly hairs on the ventral side; hind femora short-haired 

 above and with some bristles on the ventral side in the apical half; 

 front tibiæ with fine hairs on the postero-dorsal side; middle tibiæ 

 with bristly hairs below, and about three long bristles on the dorsal 

 side; hind tibiæ with somewhat dense hairs below and above. and 

 on the latter side with some bristles; tarsi slightly spinulous beneath, 

 hind metatarsi with some longer hairs above; at the apex of the 

 tarsal joints there are short bristles. The hairs and bristles are black. 

 The short, dense pubescence on the anterior tibiæ is also present in 

 this species, but it is scarcely observable with a lens. Wings some- 

 what milk-white; the basal half of the costa light brownish, the apical 

 half blackish; the other veins whitish, the cubital vein a little darker. 

 Stigma very faint, scarcely perceptible. Halteres black. 



Female. Frons somewhat broad, grey. Thorax somewhat shorter 

 haired than in the male; abdomen very short-haired and towards the 

 apex the hairs blackish. Posterior legs somewhat compressed, the 

 posterior femora pennate above, but the hairs only slightly broad, 

 middle tibiæ ciliated above, hind tibiæ ciliated on both sides, longest 

 above and the hairs here very slightly and indistinctly broadened. 

 Wings a little brownisli on the basal part, hyaline towards the apex; 

 veins brownish. Stigma slightly brownish. 



Length 2,5 to about 3 mm. 



This species resembles somewhat chtoptera, but it is distinguished 

 by many characters and is easily known by its black colour, small 

 size, black metapleural hairs and much shorter haired abdomen. 



E. prodromus seems not to be common in Denmark, but has 

 however been taken on several localities and sometimes in great 

 numbers; it has first been detected here in somewhat recent time, 

 the first specimens were taken in 1881; Ørholm, Nordskoven at 

 Jægerspris, Tisvilde and on Langeland at Lohals (the author); in 

 Jutland at Hald near Viborg (the author), at Sæby and Frederiks- 

 havn (H. I. Hansen); my dates are from ^^/fi — ^^li. According to Loew 

 1. c. it occurs earlier than chioptera but continues longer than this, 

 I have taken it on meadows in woods and in low herbage; f. inst. I 

 took it at Tisvilde in great numbers in the wood on Ranunculus acer, 

 swarming over and sitting on the flowers, but it was also present on 

 other low piants on somewhat shaded piaces. 



Geographical distribution: — Europe down into Styria; Loew 

 (1. c. 56) suggests that E. volucris in Zetterstedt may be prodromus 

 but I have had specimens from Zetterstedt's collection, and they 



