1873.1 255 



(^ ? . This species belongs to the group containing ;S^. umbellafarum, 

 F., lasiophthalmus, Zett., punctulatus, Verr., decorus, Mg., guttatus, 

 ISig^Jlav/frons, Verr., nigritihiis, Eond., harhifrons. Fall., and auricoUis, 

 Mg. From umlellatarum (its nearest ally) it is distinguished by its 

 smaller, sub-quadrate basal pair of abdominal spots, which do not 

 reach the edge ; by the almost entirely black-haired scutellum ; by the 

 blackish-browTi anterior tibia? and tarsi, and blacker femora ; by the 

 duller thorax of the male ; by the broader epistomatal line ; by the more 

 free second and third pairs of abdominal spots ; by the black, instead 

 of yellow, genitalia ; by the broader dark middle line on the frons of 

 the female, and smaller black spot above the antennae ; and by the 

 thinner hind metatarsus, &c. : from lasioplitliahmis and punctulatus, 

 the bare eyes, paler epistoma, yellow cheeks, yellower scutellum, paler 

 abdominal spots, and slight pubescence, at once distinguish it : decorus 

 has the antennae entirely, and the legs nearly all, yellow, &c. : guttatus 

 scn^L flavifrons are smaller, and have the epistoma and frons all yellow, 

 the scutellum pale-haired, and have traces of a pale line down each 

 side of the thorax : nigrifibiis and harhifrons have the epistoma and 

 front nearly all black, and the basal pair of abdominal spots, either 

 very small or altogether wanting : and auricollis in the variety ma- 

 culicornis, Zett., has the antennae pale beneath the third joint, and has 

 the abdominal spots trapezoidal or triangular, and much larger and 

 yellow ; its legs are also considerably more yellow. 



As far as any previous notice of this species is concerned, I think 

 it must be the Sccsva umbellafarum of Zetterstedt, as he says (Dipt. 

 Skan. ii, 734) "thorace sub-opaco (j" — pedibus nigris, geniculis au- 

 "terioribus testaceis, — scutellum f usco-pilosum ; " subsequently (Z. a. 

 viii, 3142) he says "thorax etiam in ^J, potius nitidus quam opacus 

 " dicitur," which is exactly the case with my specimen ; afterwards (/. c. 

 xiii. 5098), he appea,rs to have noticed the true umbellafarum, as he 

 records some specimens from Gothburg and Holland, with the thorax 

 shining in both sexes. Loevv informs me that specimens sent him as 

 types by Zetterstedt were true umbellatarum. The original description 

 of Fabricius (Ent. Sys. iv, 307) proves his species to have been the 

 one I have considered umbellatarum, as he says " Pedes antici testacei, 

 "femoribus basi nigris, postici nigri." Schiuer (Faun. Austr. i. 308) 

 probably \i3bdLComposifarumhQiove him, when he refers to the specimen 

 separated in Schummel's collection as 8. alhoguttafus. 



This species was abundant at Rannoch, in June, 1870, v.here I 

 also caught one melanoid female : I have never seen S. umbellafarum 

 from the north, but have caught it rarely at Lyudhurst, Penzance, and 

 here (Denmark Hill). 



