28 January, 



E. ACRO^^rcTAKUM, Mcq. 



E. hortulana, Mgn, ?, part. 



This is a blue-black fly, with black legs, yellow palpi, black scutellum with 

 rufous tip, and no discal setse on the second abdominal segment. The palpi are a 

 little clubbed at the ends, which are pale yellow or testaceous, the roots being dark ; 

 the antennae have the third joint about three times the length of the second ; the 

 arista has the second joint short, and the third long and thin, thickened to about 

 half its length ; the eyes are rather short haired, those of the female being almost 

 nude ; the thorax is marked by four black stripes ; the abdomen is glabrous, blue- 

 black, with black and white tessellations, the second segment has two central setae 

 on the posterior edge, but none on the disc ; the third segment has some discal setse 

 as well as marginal ones. In some specimens the scutellum is nearly or quite black, 

 and I believe it is then the same species as Meigen's E. hortulana, though he does 

 not notice the absence of setae on the second abdominal segment. In 1879 I de- 

 scribed it under that name in the Naturalist from a specimen which I had bred 

 from Acronycta alni, but I had not then had an opportunity of seeing Macquart's 

 papers on the TachiniidcB in the Annals of the French Entomological Society. I 

 have since received many specimens of this fly from Messrs. Mosley, Porritt, Fitch, 

 Bridgman, and others, all of which have been bred from either Acronycta alni or 

 A. psi, so Macquart's name is very appropriate. 



E. EUnCAUDA, Ztt. 

 This is a well marked little species, characterized by having the anal segments 

 of the abdomen red in both sexes ; the middle segments armed with setae on the 

 disc ; the external dorso-central thoracic bristles, three in number only, behind the 

 transverse suture ; the third longitudinal wing vein with five or six setae at its base ; 

 the little cross vein nebulous ; the apical cross vein much curved like that in E. 

 duhia ; and the fore tarsi in the female dilated. Rare. Mr. Fitch gave me a speci- 

 men bred from Ypsipetes impluviata. 



E. APicALis, Mgn. 

 This species has the anus red like the last, but the little cross vein is clear, and 

 the apical one straight instead of being curved. The eyes of the male are approxi- 

 mated ; the third joint of the antennae is only about twice the length of the second ; 

 the fronto-orbital bristles only extend to about the base of the antennae, but at a 

 little distance below them there is another row of little setae on the cheeks ; the 

 thorax is of a bluish colour, and the legs have brown tibiae. Very rare. I have 

 only seen one example, which is in Mr. Dale's collection. Schiner says that it has 

 been bred from Saturnia carpini. 



E. LOTA, Mgn. 



This fine species (10 — 11 mm. long) is chiefly characterized by having black 

 palpi with red tips, which are also rather clavate. The colour of the thorax and 

 abdomen is bluish-black, coated with hoary pubescence ; the former is marked by 

 four slender, rather indistinct lines, the latter is tessellated with black and white ; 



