222 STRATIOMYID.E 



diamond-shaped orange spot, which extends to the margin near the corner 

 of the scutelkxm ; a pale orange line runs along the top of the mesopleurae 

 from the lower margin of the humeral spot to the wing-base, and forms there 

 a large oblong spot down the upper part of the hinder side of the mesopleurae ; 

 the top part of the pteropleurte and the top of the sternopleur^ pale orange ; 

 lateral plate of the metanotum forming an oblong pale orange spot just in 

 front of the halteres, which is usually large but sometimes more restricted in 

 size. The black parts of the thorax and scutellum are finely and rather thickly 

 punctate and from each punctuation a minute grey adpressed bi-istle arises, but 

 the yellow parts are less punctate or even impunctate and the minute bristles 

 on them are yellow ; these nunute bristles constitute the only pubescence on 

 the dorsal part, but the sternopleurse bear a short sparse downy pale yellow 

 inconspicuous pubescence, and the top of the hypopleurse is downy, and the 

 metapleurse have an indistinct pale jjubescence ; prothorax with some fine 

 pale yellow pubescence. Scutellum pale orange, with a straight black base 

 which is widened at the corners. 



Abdomen black and only moderately shining, with the whole side thirds 

 of the second segment orange ; hindmargins of the third to the sixth 

 segments orange for about the hind quarter of each segment, but the orange 

 bands slightly narrowed at the sides and slightly bowed in front at the middle ; 

 seventh segment orange with a transverse black spot on the middle of the 

 foremargin and smaller ones at the sides ; eighth and ninth segments just 

 visible and orange, but the eighth segment has blackish sides ; pubescence all 

 so short and depressed as to be almost imperceptible, except for a little pale 

 pubescence about the basal corners of the second segment and the tiny 

 adpressed golden hairs on the hinder part of the segments. Belly dull 

 black with narrow pale yellow hindmargins to the segments ; fifth segment 

 with a large quadrate excision for the genitalia which has a fringe of dark 

 hairs on its sides ; pubescence very minute, adpressed, and pale. Genitalia 

 all orange, with a large shining dorsal plate, and with two large subquadrate 

 side-plates, but before these a pair of long but broad clavate lamellae arise 

 from near the sides of the base of the dorsal plate, while beneath them and 

 the lateral plates are other pairs of smaller lamellae, of which the basal pair 

 are long, thin, and clavate ; the basal pair of dorsal lamellae and the sub- 

 quadrate lateral plates bear a delicate pretty fringe of orange hairs, and all 

 the lamellae when seen from above bear depressed glistening golden pubescence 

 all over. 



Legs mainly orange, but the apical third of the hind femora and tibiae 

 conspicuously black ; front coxae shining black, large both in length and in 

 Inilk, and bearing tiny adpressed light grey pubescence except on the polished 

 base in front, trochanters black, but tinged with luteous above, and wdth 

 adpressed tiny whitish pubescence on all the lower part- middle coxae 

 shorter, shining black, and with scarcer light grey tiny pubescence ; hind 

 coxae as large and long as the front pair but bulkier, trochanters more 

 obviously luteous about their joint with the coxae and at the tip, and also 

 bearing white almost downy pubescence ; last four joints of the front tarsi 

 darkened above and partly so beneath ; hind tarsi slightly darkened towards 

 the end. All the femora are apparently transparent beneath, which causes 

 light or dark reflections to show in difterent lights and also causes the minute 

 pale piibescence to appear downy in some lights, but otherwise all the femora 

 and tibiae bear very minute dense pale yellow or orange pubescence which 

 however darkens to tawny on the black part of the hind tibial ; the hind 

 femora may even appear to be extensively whitish beneath, and they are 

 modei'ately strong and without any trace of serration beneath. Front tibiae 

 unarmed at the tip, but each of the posterior tibiae with a pair of dull tawny 

 moderately long spurs. Claws black, small, and almost concealed behind the 

 pulvilli. 



Wings (fig. 156) slightly smoky; anterior veins and base with a yellowish 

 tinge when contrasted with the brownish tinge of the posterior veins ; sub- 

 costal vein with dense miiuite bristles above on its whole length ; cubital vein 

 with its stem nearly twice as long as its upper branch, and its u^iper branch 

 about two-thirds the length of the lower branch and ending about half-way 

 between the radial vein and the tip of the wing, and with its lower branch 



