Empididae. 191 



The larva to M. anomalus (pusillus) is described by Beling (Arch. 

 flir Naturgesch. 48, 1, 1882, 212). It is cylindrical, somewhat attenuated 

 towards the head; the last joint somewhat thick, with slightly, longi- 

 tudinal furrows ; on the rounded hinder end is a broad, pointed, mem- 

 branous tooth or wart, which is curved upwards; above it lie the 

 terminal spiracles (Beling does not mention the, certainly present, 

 prothoracic spiracles, but this he does not do either in the descriptions 

 of other Empid larvæ). The abdominal segments have small, ventral 

 swellings (Kriechschwielen), The larva is 7 mm long, 0,9 mm thick. 

 It was found below the leaves in a plantation of beeches on ^^k and 

 developed on ^■^/r.. 



The species of Microphorus occur in woods and on fields in low^ 

 herbage and grass, generally on somewhat humid localities; the spe- 

 cies are certainly carnivorous, but I am not aware, that any direct 

 observation has been made; Macquart says however about the ety- 

 mology: „Le nom de Microphorus^ petit voleur, fait allusion aux bri- 

 gandages qu'exercent ces petits insectes å l'égard des autres." 



The genus comprises 9 species from the palæarctic region, two 

 have hitherto been found in Denmark. 



Tahle of Species. 



1. Dorsocentral and acrostichal bristles long, the latter biserial ; 



hind tibiæ and metatarsi in the male simple; thorax in the 



female grey 1 . velutinus. 



— Dorsocentral and acrostichal bristles short, the latter qua- 



driserial; hind tibiæ and metatarsi in the male swollen; 



thorax in the female black 2. anomalus. 



1. M. velutinus Macq. 



1827.tMacq. Soc. Se. Lille, 1827, 140, 2. — 1838. Meig. Syst. Beschr. 

 VII, IS, ^.' (TrichinaJ. — 1855. Zett. Dipt. Scand. XII, 4599, 3—4. (Micro- 

 phora) — 1860. Loew, Zeitschr. fur Entom. Breslau, XIV, 45,3. — 1862. 

 Schin. F. A. I, 79. — 1903. Kat. palåarkt. Dipt. Il, 258. — Microphora 

 fuscipes: 1852. Zett. Dipt. Scand. XI, 4268, 3. — Rhamphomyia holosericea: 

 1842. Zett. Dipt. Scand. I, 425, 46. 



Male. Eves touching; epistoma black; palpi dark. Occiput black, 

 with black hairs. Antennæ black. Thorax somewhat velvet black, 

 very slightly shining, with two narrow, greyish stripes, abbreviated 

 behind; also two lateral stripes, one on each side, are visible. The 

 dorsocentral and acrostichal bristles long, black, the former uniserial, 

 longer and strong behind, the latter biserial. Further a humeral bristle, 

 a pair of posthumeral, about three notopleural, a pair of supraalar 

 and a postalar bristle. all somewhat long, black. Scutellum has six 



