94 STRATIOMYID.E 



in 0. p>/'j7iue(i, but the space occuined by tlic .siiiall facets seems to be larger 

 in proportion. Antennse dull black or brownish black ; third joint longer and 

 '■ ■ ' in • , , , .1 _•__ ^ ^^l^g as long 



basal joint. 

 1 the orange 

 ine running 



more distinctly annulated ; arista stouter than in 0. pi/f/mcpa, 

 as the annulated third joint, and with a more obviously thickenec 



Thorax moderately shining black, thickly punctate, and wit" 

 markings reduced in amount ; humeral point only, and a narrow 

 thence along the upper margin of the mesopleurse to the wing-base and 

 extended oljscurely under that and irregularly on to the end of the thorax, 

 orange; postalar calli brownish orange Pubescence short, depressed, and 

 more broAvnish yellow than in 0. pygmcea, though often pale greyish yellow 

 towards the sides and sometimes blackish on the disc ; on the pleurae longer, 

 more erect and greyish white, except on the polished bare micldle and upper 

 parts of the mesopleurse. Scutellum all black, but the spines sometimes 

 brownish orange ; pubescence inconspicuous, very short, and brownish yellow; 

 metanotum black, with a slight greyish dust. 



Abdomen shining black, l)ut very thickly punctate on the disc of the 

 second, and part of the third, segments ; orange markings usually as in dark 

 specimens of 0. pygmcea but with the lateral spots rather larger, and in one 

 of my four specimens the sidemargins of the third and fourth segments are 

 only obscurely brownish orange and running out near the hind corners as 

 obscure orange spots, of which those on the fourth segment are the largest 

 and brightest, while the apical half of the fifth segment is isolatedly brownish 

 orange ; pubescence rather more brownish or greyish yellow about the basal 

 corners'. Belly shining brownish black, with all the middle part of the second 

 seginent and the hindmargin of the third segment obscurely orange, or with 

 at least most of the disc of the second, third, and tifth segments slightly 

 browner than the rest ; pubescence ubiquitous, short, recumbent, and pale. 



Legs black (hardly at all brownish black), with just the knees and the 

 extreme tip of the posterior tibiae rather obscurely orange ; trochanters 

 rather yellowish. Pubescence moderate and whitish behind the femora. 



Wings hyaline, but the stigma brown and the anterior thick veins dark 

 brown. Squamae with light grey fringes. 



9. Frons black with four orange spots (fig. 113) of which the two larger ones 

 commence just behind the ocelli as in 0. j^l/gmwa, and extend about half- 

 way clown the frons but never extend to the eyes ; 

 the two smaller spots are a little above the antennie 

 but in the same line as the elongate upper spots, 

 almost round and occasionally indistinct or even 

 absent. Face with the middle black part more 

 sharply defined and occupying about the middle 

 thircl • back of the head even more putied out, 

 and the black streak against the upper part of the 

 eyes rather suddenly widened at its lower end and 

 extended half-way (or even quite) across the orange 

 band, and this orange band is paler below this inter- 

 FiG. 113.— ruption, and sometimes so much so as to be Ijlackish 



Oxijceranigripcs <}. x 25. orange above and pale yellow Itelow, but the lower 



part has less silvery gloss than in 0. pygmcea. 

 Antennie longer and lilacker than in 0. jiygmcea, and with the third joint 

 more distinctly annulated ; the fourth annulation being very similar to the 

 basal joint of the style ; style stouter than in O.jiygmcea. 



Thorax as in the male, but occasionally the extreme tip of the scutellum 

 is dark reddish orange. 



Abdomen with the i)ale markings more restricted than in 0. pygmcea, so 

 that the tip is almost (or sometimes apparently quite) isolated. 



Legs as in the male, but sometimes almost as orange as in very dark 

 specimens of 0. pygvicea. 

 Wings as in the male. 

 Length about 4 mm. 



This species, as far as is known to me, varies but very little, but as all 

 the fifteen specimens I have seen were caught in a space of about six 



