434 Tachinidae. 



Male. Shape and colour of head as in the other species; frons 

 broader and the cheeks broader than in ferina, but not as broad as 

 in nigricornis, about half as broad as the eye; jowls about half the 

 height of the eye, with bristly hairs. Antennæ with the two basal 

 joints reddish, second a little longer than third. Palpi thin and thread- 

 like, with black bristles on outer half. Thorax black, somewhat shining, 

 but distinctly greyish pruinose with four distinct stripes as in nigri- 

 cornis; scutellum obscurely reddish. Thorax black-haired; three 

 postsutural dorsocentrals and two præ- and three postsutural acrosti- 

 chals. Abdomen more elongated than in the other species; it is bright 

 red with a black middle stripe, only slightly incised at the incisures, 

 the last segment with the hind part black; abdomen is rather shining, 

 only narrowly white pruinose at front margins of the segments; it 

 is black-haired, second segment without bristles, third with three 

 or four pairs in a longitudinal row, fourth with one or two pairs of 

 discai and a row of marginal bristles, fifth with bristles on hinder 

 half. Fifth sternite long and arched, lamellæ not short, somewhat 

 triangular, the apex drawn out into an upwards curved spine; they 

 are somewhat longish hairy. Genitalia forming a more or less pro- 

 truding blackish knob; hypopygium armed on the lateral parts with 

 strong, outstanding bristles. Arms of lower forceps somewhat trian- 

 gular with the point downwards, inwardly going out into a com- 

 pressed piece, meeting the opposite and looking as connected with 

 it; the arms covered with longish, diverging hairs. Legs black, hind 

 tibiæ may be obscurely reddish. Wings a little tinged, yellow at 

 base; veins brown, paler towards base; posterior cross- vein sinuate. 

 Squamulæ white. Balteres yellowish or brown. 



Female. Quite similar, frons slightly broader. 



Length 10 — 12 mm. 



P. Popelii is not common in Denmark, and has only been taken 

 at Tisvilde in sandy localities (I. C. Nielsen, the author); the dates 

 are ^Z, into August; one specimen is labelled as bred from Eumydia 

 striata; otherwise no hosts seem to be known, but, according to the 

 localities it frequents, it may be thought to be species of Agrotis. 



Geographical distribution: — Middle and southern Europe and 

 into middle Asia; it does not seem to occur north of Denmark. It is 

 recorded to frequent sandy districts. 



