^38 Syrphidae. 



Length 10,5—12 mm. 



X.comtiis is not common in Denmark; Copenhagen in a garden, 

 Charlottenlund, Ordrup Mose, Dyrehaven, Donse, Hillerød, Trørød, 

 Tisvilde; on Lolland in Kældskov; on Funen at Veflinge and Hoff- 

 mansgave, and in Jutland at Frederikshavn. My dates are ^^/t— ^^/o. 

 It occiirs on meadows and in woods. The larva was taken at Donse 

 on a Populus between Aphides on ^^/s, it pupated and developed at 

 the end of August, and the pupa was taken at Tisvilde sitting on 

 Betula on ^^'to, it developed on ^-'/lo (Kryger). The species is, as seen, 

 an autumn species. 



Geographical distribution: — All Europe down to Sicily; towards 

 the north to middle Sweden, and in Finland. 



13. Melangyna Verr. 



This genus is somevvhat similar to Melanostoma, but in other 

 respects more allied to Syrphus. Head semiglobular but broader than 

 high and broader than thorax. Eyes distinctly hairy, touching in the 

 male and with the upper facets a little enlarged. Antennæ inserted 

 above the middle, Occiput somewhat puffed out downwards. Frons 

 and epistoma very broad, the latter w^ith a moderately protruding 

 central knob, retreating at the mouth edge; the epistoma is entirely 

 black in both sexes and with long hairs on the sides. Jowls some- 

 what descending and with a distinct pit between them and epistoma. 

 Scutellum not quite black but somewhat pale on the disc. Abdomen 

 narrow, parallel-sided, with pairs of yellow spots on third and fourth 

 segments in the male, but quite black in the female (or with only 

 indications of spots); the fifth abdominal segment in the male is 

 normally developed both on dorsal and ventral side, but small. Legs 

 simple and simply haired. 



This genus is much more allied to Syrphus than to Melanostoma. 

 The shape of the head with the very broad epistoma is quite another 

 than in Melanostoma, and also the hairy eyes separate it from this 

 genus. It stands, as Verrall remarks himself very near to one extreme 

 of Syrphus, represented by species as barbifrons and ardicus, the 

 male is even so similar to barbifrons that it is only distinguished by 

 the hairy eyes. When the genera from Chrysogaster to Xanthandrus 

 taken together are separated from Syrphus by the black epistoma and 

 scutellum, Melangyna may well be placed with the former, though 

 its scutellum is not quite black, but its relation is however by far nearest 

 to Syrphus; the mentioned species of Syrphus having in the male a 

 quite or almost quite black epistoma, only in the female it is some- 



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