66 Tachinidae. 



6. Second abdominal segment without bristles; third 



antennal joint scarcely twice as long as second 55. Dinera. 



— Second abdominal segment with bristles ; third antennal 



joint thrice as long as second 56. Myiocera. 



IX. Tachininae. 



No ventral membrane. Abdominal sternites concealed or some- 

 times more or less visible. Frons more or less narrow in male, broad 

 in female, or equal or about in both sexes. Antennæ most often 

 inserted at or above middle of the eye, generally rather long, some- 

 times shorter; arista bare, at most distinctly pubescent (only in 

 Helicohosca and Phyllomyia short-haired, in Thelaira longer-haired). 

 Frontal bristles as a rule descending more or less down on the cheeks, 

 sometimes only to insertion of antennæ; tliey may all be crossing 

 in male, but one to three upper reclinate in female, or there are 

 reclinate bristles in both sexes; or they may be crossing with or 

 without reclinate bristles, but with an upper outwards directed 

 bristle in female or in both sexes. Eyes bare or hairy. Exterior post- 

 humeral bristle placed higher than præsutural bristle, and generally 

 two or three posthumeral bristles, or sometimes only one. A præ- 

 sutural intraalar bristle most often present, and when wanting often 

 the abdominal sternites visible. Nearly always three postsutural 

 intraalar bristles, rarely two. Most often three præsutural acrostichals, 

 but not rarely only two, or they are still more reduced. Propleura 

 bare except in Helicohosca and Echinomyia (the Danish species). 

 Upper part of postscutellum strongly convex. Scutellum most often 

 with four to five marginal bristles on each side, sometimes three; 

 the apical as a rule the smaller, crossing or sometimes diverging, 

 and sometimes quite small or wanting. Abdomen with excavation 

 on second segment generally reaching hind margin, but in some 

 cases not; fifth segment most often with bristles all over or on apical 

 half, but in some genera with only marginal bristles. 



The species of the Tachininae may be somewhat varying in 

 aspect, but upon the whole they represent the typical Tachinid type, 

 more or less robust flies, with strong or somewhat strong bristles. 

 The legs are not long, claws and pulvilli in male often elongated, 

 and in some groups the front tarsi in female more or less dilated. 

 The subfamily no doubt represents the youngest and highest developed 

 type of flies, being perhaps still to a high degree in development, 

 and still showing in this respect many various stages. The subfamily 



