Sphaerophoria. 353 



upper part of sternopleura and on metapleura, only the hinder part 

 of mesopleura and the upper part of pteropleura are yellow ; the 

 hah-s are yellow. Abdomen about of the length of the wings, some- 

 what depressed and band-shaped, narrowest in the middle and thus 

 slightly clavate ; it has the segments shorter than in scripta and men- 

 thastri, the fifth segment much broader than long and only slightly 

 unsymmetrieal, as the hind margin is only very slightly prolonged on 

 the right side of the middle; abdomen is æneous black, shining, only 

 dull on the disc of second segment, and with a narrow, longitudinal, 

 duU spot on the dorsum of third and fourth segments; the basal 

 corners are yellow, this colour stretching a little in on second seg- 

 ment, and there are three pairs of yellow or orange, triangular spots, 

 stretching from about the middle of the side in on the segments; 

 they have the front margin straight, the hind margin sloping forwards ; 

 the basal spots are small, widely separated, but the spots increase in 

 size backwards, the third pair being the largest and at the side 

 margin occupying the whole length of the segment; the side margins 

 of abdomen are yellow and the spots go in full width over the margin ; 

 the spots may vary in size, being sometimes rather small and not 

 triangular but forming oblique stripes at the sides, with the inner end 

 directed forwards and very widely separated in the middle; the fourth 

 segment has a narrow, orange hind margin; the fifth segment black, 

 with the sides more or less broadly and the hind margin very nar- 

 ro wly orange. The hairs on abdomen are black along the middle of 

 the dorsum, the black hairs more extended on the apical part; at the 

 hind margins of the segments they are black ; towards the sides they 

 are pale, and likewise at the side margin, where they are long at the 

 base. Venter bluish black with pale hind margins to the segments, 

 and with pale hairs. Genitalia large, orange or dark orange; eighth 

 segment with Iwo black spots, one above the other, often uniting; 

 ninth segment with two smaller or larger black spots at the base, 

 and sometimes with some dark markings below; the appendages not 

 long, with somewhat short hair tufts. Legs relatively robust with 

 the tarsi a little broad; they are yellow, femora with a black ring 

 near the base, largest on hind femora ; the hairs on femora somewhat 

 short; all hairs yellow except on the dorsal and anterior side of the 

 hind tibiæ, where there are some black hairs. Wings a little pale 

 brownish tinged. Squamulæ and balteres yellow. 



Female. Vertex of medium breadth, shining æneous, a median 

 stripe of the same colour stretching down the yellow frons to the 

 antennæ; the hairs yellow, above more brownish. Abdomen as in 

 the male a little clavate and band-shaped, and it is relatively broader; 



23 



