262 Orthorrhapha brachycera. 



The very small species of this genus occur on fields and meadows, 

 generally near water. 



The genus comprises 3 palæarctic species; one is hitherto found 

 in Denmark. 



1. S. graminum Fall. 



1815. Fall. Dipt. Suec. Empid. 15, 21. (Tachydromia). — 1822. Meig. 

 Syst. Beschr. III, 72, 10. {Tachydromia), et 1838. VII, 95, 11. (Tachypeza). 



— 1842. Zett. Dipt. Scand. I, 320, 10. (Tachypeza). — 1859. Loew, Neue 

 Beitr. zurKenntn. d. Dipt. VI, 43, 11. — 1862. Schin. F. A. I, 95. (DrapetisJ. 



— 1903. Kat. palåarkt. Dipt. II, 274. 



Male. Vertex and frons grey; palpi pale, yellow. Occiput grey 

 with some black bristles above. Antennæ yellow, the third joint and 

 the arista dark brown. Thorax black, but the colour more or less 

 hidden by a dense grey i)ruinosity, and further there is a short, pale 

 pubescence. A posthumeral and a pair of notopleural bristles present, 

 all black. Scutellum with two black marginal bristles. Pleura black, 

 shining, but grey pruinose above. Abdomen dirty yellowish, with 

 scarcely perceptible, pale hairs. Venter of the same colour. The ex- 

 terior genitalia black. Legs yellow, tarsi a little brownish towards 

 the ends. The legs short-haired with yellowish hairs; the front and 

 hind femora with somewhat fine, longish hairs below; the middle fe- 

 mora with about three a little stronger bristles, and with a black 

 bristle at the apex on the anterior side; the middle tibiæ distinctly 

 haired above and below. Wings somewhat narrow, a little brownish 

 tinged. Veins brown; the discai vein thin from the base to the postical 

 cross-vein. Halteres yellow. 



Female. Quite similar to the male; abdomen generally a little 

 paler; ovipositor black. 



Length 1,3 mm. 



S. graminum is not rare in Denmark, but it has, however, not 

 been taken many times, probably on account of its smallness; at Ler- 

 søen by Copenhagen and at Sorø Sø; my dates are ^^U to June. At 

 Sorø Sø I took it with the sieve from flood refuse on ^^U, so thai it 

 might be thought to have hibernated. 



Geographical distribution: — Europe down into Italy; towards 

 the north to middle Sweden, and in Finland. 



22. Tacliypeza Meig. 



Species of a somewhat small size and a slender shape, and of 

 dark colours. Head about as broad as thorax, somewhat elongated, 



