392 Syrphidae. 



sciitellum are some fine bristles, strengest in the female; metapleura 

 Avith short hairs. Abdomen rather short, ovate, about as long as 

 thorax and scutellum; in the male there are four not transformed 

 segments. Genitalia of medium size. In the female there are five 

 visible abdominal segments, the fifth small, the rest hidden, the last 

 ends with two small lamellæ. Legs simple; hind tibiæ with the usual 

 slight incurvation near apex; hind metatarsi somewhat thickened, 

 especially at the base. Anterior femora with long hairs on the 

 posterior and ventral sides, hind femora on anterior and ventral sides 

 and also with somewhat long hairs on the posterior side, but not 

 setulose below. Glaws and pulvilli well developed; empodium spine- 

 shaped, hairy. Wings with the medial cross-vein well before the 

 middle of the discai cell; cubital vein curving somewhat downwards 

 towards the end, terminating in the costal vein distinctly below the 

 apex of the wing.^ Vena spuria somewhat distinct. Alula large. 

 Squamulæ not narrow, alar squamula with short, slightly flattened 

 hairs at the margin, thoracai squamula with long, richly branched 

 hairs. Plumula well developed, with simple hairs. 



The developmental stages are not known; Reaumur mentions 

 (Mém. Ins. IV, 1738, 233) that he had bred a single specimen from 

 cow-dung in which were other dipterous larvæ which he wished to 

 study, but he had not seen the larva or pupa to the Bhingia; the 

 larvæ are therefore believed to live in cow-dung; I think, however, 

 this rather doubtful, for it would be strange that in this case the larva 

 or pupa to so common a species was not known. Schiner states, in 

 favour of the belief that the larva lives in cow-dung, that the females 

 are often found on fresh cow-dung, but this I have not observed. 



The species of Bhingia are characteristic flies by their curious, 

 bec-like snout and also by their colour; they occur in woods, fens 

 and similar piaces on various flowers; their flight is somewhat heavy. 



Of the genus 4 species occur in the palæarctic region, but only 

 the three are European; two occur in Denmark. 



Table of Species. 



Thorax bluish black, in the female slate-coloured ; abdom- 

 inal margin not black; legs reddish, in the male the basal 

 part of femora more or less darkened 1 . rostrata. 



1 Verrall savs that there are a few hairs on the base of the cubital vein; this 

 is evidently an error for the radial vein; I have only been able to see a couple 

 of fine hairs just near the base of this vein. 



