Empididae. 257 



Schin. F. A. I, 95. — 1903. Kat.palaarkt.Dipt.il, 272. — Drapetis nigra: 

 1830. Meig. Syst. Beschr. VI, 344, 2. — Drapetis \minima: 1838. Meig. 

 Syst. Beschr. VII, 100, 4. 



Male. Frons, vertex and epistoma black; ocellar tubercle with 

 about four small bristles. Palpi greyish brown. Occiput black, shining, 

 with a pair of bristles and some small hairs above. Antennæ black 

 or blackish, the second joint with a short bristle below, the third 

 short ovate. Thorax black, shining, with a very short, brownish grey 

 pubescence, and only with a pair of longer bristles behind. There 

 are some blackish notoplem*al bristles and a postalar bristle. Scutel- 

 lum with two black marginal bristles and a pair of weaker bristles 

 outwards. Pleura black, shining. Abdomen black, somewhat shining, 

 with a short, pale brownish pubescence; venter similarly coloured and 

 haired. Legs black or brownish, trochanters and knees reddish, front 

 coxæ pale; the legs may vary in colour to quite yellowish, especially 

 in the female. The hind femora with a few blackish bristles below 

 at the apex, anterior femora with fine hairs below; bristles at the 



Flg. 115. Wing of D.assimilis. 



apex of the anterior femora scarcely observable; for the rest the legs 

 short-haired, and the tibiæ without apical spurs. Wings hyaline. Veins 

 brown; the cross-veins distant; the discai vein thin from the base to 

 the postical cross-vein ; a thin anal vein] is indicated. Halteres blackish 

 or brown. 



Female. Quite similar to the male, the abdomen is pointed. 



Length 1,5—1,7 mm. 



D. assimilis seems to be very rare in Denmark, only three speci- 

 mens are known, taken many years ago, one from Westermann's 

 collection, labelled Copenhagen, and two from Stæger, probably taken 

 at Ordrup. 



Geographical distribution:— Northern and middle Europe down 

 into France; towards the north to southern Sweden. — It is also 

 recorded to occur in North America, but this seems to be erroneous, 

 at all events the species enumerated by Melander (Trans. Amer. 



17 



