Einpididae. 285 



27. Tachydromia Meig. 



{Platypalpiis Macq.) 



Species of small to very small size; the colours are generally 

 black, more or less covered by a light pruinosity on thorax, or quite 

 black; sometimes they are yellow. Head somevvhat globular, generally 

 a little higher than broad, and a little narrower than, or as broad 

 as thorax; occiput somewhat arched, generally with a pair of bristles 

 and some shorter hairs above, and longish hairs below, Eyes higher 

 than broad; they are separated above the antennæ in both sexes, 

 the frons more or less narrow; below the antennæ they are likewise 

 but narrowly separated, and sometimes almost touching. The facets 

 are of equal size. The hind margin of the eyes is slightly incurved. 

 The incision in the inner eye-margin is distinct. In the living specimens 

 the eyes are brown, a little metallic. The vertex has a tubercle with 

 three ocelli and (generally) a pair of ocellar bristles. The antennæ 

 are inserted near to each other, about in the middle or slightly above. 

 They are shorter or longer, five-jointed ; the basal joint is very small, 

 the second globular, the third joint is more or less elongated, some- 

 times rather long, attenuated towards the apex and compressed; it 

 bears a terminal, two-jointed, shorter or longer arista, the basal 

 joint of which is very short; the second joint of the antennæ bears 

 bristles. Epistoma is narrow, sometimes very narrow. The jowls are 

 present as a small rim. Clypeus is incised in the lower margin. The 

 proboscis is short, not as long as the head is high, directed down- 

 wards. Labrum is as long as labium, strong, high at the base; it is 

 three-pointed at the apex, the two lateral lobes are slrong, curved 

 down as hooks, and with a spine a little behind the apex. Hypo- 

 pharynx is as long as labrum, likewise strong, lancet-like pointed with 

 the outer apex curved a little downwards; behind the apex it is ser- 

 i-ated in the margin in about the outer half part. There are no 

 maxillæ but one-jointed, smaller or larger, sometimes very large 

 maxillary palpi; they are compressed, almost squamiform, hairy and 

 with a few bristles at the apex. Labium has the labella as long as 

 the basal part, they are beset with some bristles and cleft about to 

 their base; there is a pointed median lobe. Thorax is rectangular, a 

 little arched above; pro- and metathorax small, the latter is visible 

 above as a narrow rim, but there seems to be no chitinised meta- 

 sternum. There are generally short, uniserial dorsocentral and biserial 

 acrostichal hairs; the dorsocentral hairs may be more or less fused 

 with hairs on the sides of the disc; generally, but not ahvays, one or 

 two of the hindmost dorsocentral hairs are longer bristles. Sometimes 



