268 Tachinidae. 



52. Dexia Meig. 



Species of medium to somewhat large size, colour greyish yellow 

 or yellowish, with abdomen in male largely yellow, in female grey or 

 black with pale pruinose bands. Head as broad as thorax, nearly 

 flat behind and somewhat puffed out below, much higher than long. 

 Frons narrow in male, broad in female, somewhat protruding. Jowls 

 broad, from half as broad to nearly as broad as the eye is high, 

 broadest in female. In both sexes ocellar and inner vertical bristles, 

 in female also somewhat small outer vertical and two orbital bristles. 

 Behind postocular bristles black liairs. Frontal bristles reaching to 

 the insertion of antennæ or scarcely, crossing in male, in female an 

 outwards directed bristle above. Cheeks bare. Vibrissal ridges not 

 sharp, more or less parallel, but somewhat converging just below; 

 vibrissæ a little ascending; a large vibrissa present, placed only slightly 

 above lower margin of epistoma. Epistoma almost not retreating,. 

 with a strong middle carina reaching to near the end. Proboscis and 

 oral cone not long; clypeus horse-shoe-shaped. Palpi about thread-like. 

 Antennæ inserted much below middle of the eye, third joint twice 

 to nearly thrice as long as second; arista long-plumose. Thorax 

 quadratic or a little rectangular; three postsutural dorsocentrals 

 and one or two præ- and likewise one or two postsutural acrostichals. 

 Scutellum with three marginal bristles on each side, the apical crossing. 

 Two or three sternopleural bristles. Pteropleura with a bundle of 

 bristly hairs above. Abdomen more or less elongated conical; excava- 

 tion on second segment reaching the hind margin; there are discai 

 and marginal bristles, sometimes only marginal in female; second 

 segment without bristles, fifth with discai bristles. Legs, especially 

 tarsi long, with the joints much elongated; claws and pulvilli in male 

 strongly elongate. Wings with first posterior cell open, ending a little 

 before apex of wing; discai angle rectangular, with or without a 

 short veinlet; a costal spine present. 



The species are parasitic on larvæ of Melolontha and Rhizotrogus ; 

 the eggs are laid in the ground and the immediately hatching larvæ 

 seek the host. 



Of the genus about a dozen European species are recorded, but 

 some of them are still doubtful; two species occur in Denmark. 



Table of Species. 



1. Male with the middle stripe on abdomen not incised or inter- 

 rupted, fourth segment without black hind margin; female with 



