386 Syrphidae. 



along the eye-margins, and hence the black space above the antennæ 

 is much larger and broader; epistoma with a larger black middle 

 stripe, and the mouth edge considerably blackish. Thorax more shining 

 than in the male, but perhaps a little less than in umbellatarum, the 

 præsutural depression not pruinose. Scutellum with only some few 

 dark hairs at the apex. The basal abdominal spots much narrower 

 than in umbellatarum, not produced to the front edge and not broader 

 than the other spots; all spots going over the side margin. Legs 

 mainly as \n the male and hence blacker than in umhellatarum. 



Length 9,5 mm. 



S. compositarum is very rare in Denmark, rarer than umbellatarwn, 

 I only possess two specimens, a male and a female, one caught in 

 Geel Skov on ''h 1909 and one at Tisvilde on ^^/t 1907 (the author). 



Geographical distribution: — The species seems to occur all over 

 Europe down into Italy; towards the north to northern Sweden, and 

 in Finland, if Verrall's suggestion that this species is commonly re- 

 corded as umhellatarum is correct. 



Remarks : S. compositarum is without difficulty distinguished from 

 umhellatarum, in the male by the duller thorax and the much smaller 

 basal abdominal spots; in the female by the much blacker frons and 

 the smaller basal abdominal spots, which are not produced to the 

 front margin of the segment, and in both sexes by the darker anterior 

 legs. The third allied species, lahiatarum Verr. is hitherto not found 

 in Denmark; it has the thorax duU in both sexes and is in the male 

 known from compositarum by the more quadrate abdominal spots, of 

 which the basal pair are larger, and in the female by the almost 

 quite grey frons. All three species are very similar, but I do not 

 doubt their specific distinctness. 



33. S. barbifrons Fall. 



1817. Fall. Dipt. Suec. Syrph. 45, 17 {Scaeva). — 1822. Meig. Syst. 

 Beschr. 111, 338, 95. — 1843. Zett. Dipt. Scand. 11, 740, 43 <^ et 1855. 

 XII, 4659, 43 et 1859. XIII, 5099, 43 {Scaeva). — 1901. Verr. Brit. Fl. 

 VIII, 423, 25, figs. 309—310. — 1907. Kat. palåarkt. Dipt. III, 61. — 

 Scaeva nitidula ? Zett. 1838. Ins. Lapp. 608, 39 et 1843. Dipt. Scand. II, 

 758, 61 et 1849. VIII, 3153, 61 et 1855. XII, 4661, 61 et 1859. XIII, 6004, 

 61. — Syrphus nitidulus 1862. Schin. F. A. 1, 307. 



Male. Head rather low and broad. Vertex a little elongated 

 triangular; frons and epistoma very broad, the former a little inflated, 

 the upper angle obtuse. Frons blackish pruinose, almost not shining ; 

 epistoma and jowls quite bluish black, shining, the jowls broad and 

 somewhat descending. Occiput bluish black ; all the head black-haired, 



