Paragus. 47 



plumula thin, but not short, with fine hairs. Alar squaniulæ with 

 simple hairs, thoracic squamulæ with long, branched hairs. 



The developmental stages are described by Rondani (Nuov. Ann. 

 Se. Nat. Bologna, VIII, 1847) ; the author found the larva of P. tihialis 

 {coadimatus) among Aphides on the roots of Gentaurea solstitialis, 

 that of bicolor under the same circumstanees, the imagines came at 

 the end of August, and that of quadrifasciatus between Aphides on 

 Sonchus asper. I have not seen this paper. Schiner says, that the 

 larva is brown or dark marmorate, and the pupa drop-like, thin in 

 front, thick behind; this shape would be very curious, — Verrall states, 

 in spite of Rondani's statement, that "the species have a very suspicious 

 habit of hanging about the burrows of the small Halicti". — There 

 is moreover a paper by Metealf (Ohio Natural. XI, 1911) dealing with 

 the larvæ, but also this paper I have not been able to study. 



The species of Paragus occur on dry, sunny and sandy piaces, 

 often on grass-fields, sitting on the straw ; they are capable of bending 

 the abdomen quite up under thorax. Schiner communicates that of 

 all Syrphids he most often took specimens of Paragus in copula; in 

 Denmark the species are not common, and I have never seen them 

 in copula. Most of the species are very varying and the specific 

 limits not quite settled, though I believe the three Danish species are 

 quite certain. 



Of the genus about 14 species are known from the palæarctic 

 region, 3 occur in Denmark. 



Tahle of Species. 



1. Epistoma rather produced, with a black middle stripe in 



both sexes ; scutellum quite black 1 . tihialis. 



■ Epistoma slightly produced, yellow in the male; scutellum 

 with apex or apical margin more or less yellow 2. 



2. Abdomen more or les reed 2. bicolor. 



— Abdomen black 3. albifrons. 



1. P. tibialis Fall. 



1817. Fall. Dipt. Suec. Syrph. 60, 5 (PipizaJ. — 1822. Meig. Syst. 

 Beschr. III, 183, 13. — 1843. Zett. Dipt. Scand. II, 852, 6. — 1862. Schin. 

 F. A. I, 257. — 1901. Verr. Brit. Fl. VIII, 150,1, figs. 175—77. - 1907. 

 Kat. palåarkt. Dipt. III, 4. — Paragus haemorrhous Meig. 1822. Syst. Beschr. 

 III, 182, 10. — Paragus aeneus Meig. 1822. ibid. III, 183, 11. — 1843. 

 Zett. Dipt. Scand. 11, 854, 8, et 1849. VIII, 3188, 8. — Paragus obscurus 

 Meig. 1822. Syst. Beschr. III, 183, 12. — Paragus femoratus Meig. 1822. 

 ibid. III, 184, 14. — Paragus trianguliferus Zett. 1838. Ins. Lapp. 618, 3, 

 et 1843. Dipt. Scand. II, 853, 7. — Paragus di?nidiatus Loew, 1863. Berl. 

 ent. Zeitschr. VII, 308, 63. 



