260 



LEPTID^ 



LRPTINJE. 



Antennae with the third joint simple and bearing a long apical (or 

 apparently subapical) arista. Face socketed. Posterior tibise each with 

 two spurs. Wings with a long slightly bell-mouthed fork. 



Fig. 1S7. — LejHis scolopacca ?. x 5. 



Face socketed and separated by a channel from the wide side-cheeks (figs. 171,1 72). 

 Palpi long and conspicuous, sometimes drooping. Eyes bare, usually but not_ always 

 touching in the male, and with the facets (even in the male) all approximately 

 equal. Antennae with the third joint short, not annulated, and bearing a long apical 

 (or subapical) arista. 



Thorax with inconspicuous rather stiff pubescence, or with depressed more pilose 

 pubescence. Scutellum unarmed, decidedly large ; metanotum mainly concealed 

 under the large scutellum. 



Abdomen more or less conical. Grenitalia moderate in size. 



Legs rather long; tibise with rows of minute bristles, and the posterior pairs 

 each with two apical spurs ; front tarsi often with " touchdiairs " on the underside. 



Wings often glittering ; cubital fork long and rather bell-mouthed, with the 

 upper branch ending before or almost at, and the lower branch well after, the wing- 

 tip ; fourth posterior cell never closed ; alula well developed. 



Alar squamae moderate in size ; thoracal pair absent. 



The LcpUna: are distinguished from the Xylopliagincr and Ccenomyina'. 

 by the simple third antennal joint and its long arista, and from the 

 VermUeonvna: by the socketed epistoma, but they are very closely allied 

 to the Chrysopilina', and the only character to be relied upon is the 

 presence of two spurs on the hind tibice whereas the Chrysojiilince possess 

 only one such spur. The Chrysopilince almost always have the facets on 

 the upper part of the eyes of the male conspicuously larger than, and 



