126 STRATIOMYID.E 



veins up to the end of the cubital vein are yellow ; cubital vein without any 

 trace of the fork which exists in all other European species of the genus. 

 Thoracal squamae blackish, rather larger than the alar pair and forming a 

 longer lobe, with short grey fringes. Halteres whitish yellow to dull orange, 

 with the stem and sometimes the front part of the knob darkish. 



? . Similar to the male, but with the eyes much smaller and consequently the 

 snout apparently much more produced. Frons very wide between the eyes, 

 being considerably more than one-third the width of the head, while the snout 

 appears to include the lower part of the frons because the part just above 

 the antennae and below the transverse depression is slightly elevated ■ frons 

 shining black, with a longitudinal depression below the middle which runs 

 into the transverse depression which crosses a little above the antennae ; 

 back of the head widely inflated and shining black (fig. 124). Eyes small • in 

 life dark bronze colored with a conspicuous purple band aci'oss the middle ; 

 facets all small and equal. Antennae with the third joint rather longer and 

 more conspicuously annulated. 



Thorax with even less pubescence on the sides and on the pleurae than in 

 the male. 



Abdomen with only very slight pubescence about the basal corners ; 

 segments after the fifth very small and black, ending in a pair of closely 

 adpressed short brownish lamellae. Belly with a tendency to paleness on the 

 middle part of the basal segments. 



Legs with the yellow markings on the hind legs and on all the tarsi 

 rather more sharply defined. 



Wings as in the male. Squamae rather paler. Halteres clear yellow, but 

 with the stem darkened. 



Length about 4 mm. 



-'o'- 



This species requires no comparison with any other European species 

 as its entirely black colour in both sexes, its smaller size, and its simple 

 cubital vein at once distinguish it, but iV. niger Bigot from Chili is very 

 closely allied. 



N. nigrinus is not uncommon in fenny or marshy districts, and I have 

 taken it in numerous localities in Cambridgeshire and Suffolk, but an 

 examination of my other records only gives Cornwall (fairly common 

 according to Mr C. G. Lamb at Padstow), Lincolnshire (Freshney Bogs), 

 Herefordshire (numerous localities), Glamorgan (Porthcawl, Colonel 

 Yerbury), and Haddington (according to Mr P. H. Grimshaw at Aberlady), 

 while Haliday took it in Ireland. My records extend from June 1 to July 

 15. It is fairly common over Northern and Middle Europe, from the 

 extreme north down to Southern Germany, and Van der Wulp has stated 

 that he has seen it from North America, but the American entomologists 

 consider his reference to apply to N. unicolor ; I am however of opinion 

 that N. unicolor is only a synomyn of N. nigrinus. 



Sj/nonipni/. — I think it more probable that Nemotehis frontalis Olivier (1811) is 

 this species than Pachj/gaster urhitalis as was suggested by Loew, but the description 

 is not good enough to identify it with certainty. 



