37 



in length, from Netlc)-, Hants, July 22nd, 1S93 {Miss Gertrude 

 Ricardo). The species has, however, also been taken in recent years 

 by Mr. L. C. Chawner in the New Forest, Hants, and b}- Mr. G. H. 

 Verrall in Canvey Island, Essex. It may be noted that the specimen 

 figured by Curtis ('British Entomology,' 1834) was also from Essex 

 (Mersea Isle). Continental specimens of this species in the Museum 

 collection are chiefly from southern localities (Italy, the Morea, Greece, 

 and Cyprus). In Austria, according to Schiner (' Fauna Austriaca. — 

 Die Fliegen (Diptera),' I. p. 39), Hceiiiatopota italica is more common 

 than H. plnvialis ; it is, however, not certain that Schiner's inter- 

 pretation of Meigen's H. italica is the same as that current in this 

 countr\', since, according to the Austrian Dipterist, the femora should 

 be black. Meigen's original description, which merely states that 

 H. italica is distinguished from H. plnvialis by the antenna;, says 

 nothinfj about the femora. 



Genus 

 THERIOPLECTES, Zeller. 



Therioplectes micans, Mg. 



Plate 13. 



This is a shining black species, distinguishable from the bisignatns 

 form of Til. tropicus (Plate 16), which it resembles in apjjearance, by 

 the legs being entirely black. Further means of recognition are 

 afforded in the male by the presence of a bunch of long erect hairs 

 at the end of each of the first four joints of the front tarsi ; and in the 

 female by the frontal triangle (the area of the head between the 

 anterior angles of the eyes and the antenna;) being, with the excep- 

 tion of a narrow border immediately above the base of each antenna, 

 shining black instead of dull gre}'. In the case of the male, the eyes 

 of the living insect are described by Brauer (Denkschr. k. Akad. 

 Wiss , math.-naturw. CI., 42 Bd. (1880), p. 137) as "on the lower half 

 with three purple bands on a bright green ground, and purple- 



