6. CHRYSOPILUS 301 



Face socketed like a dimple. Palpi standing out straight or upturned, not at all 

 drooping. Eyes with the facets on the upper part enlarged and more or less 

 conspicuously contrasted with the smaller facets on the lower part ; in life often 

 bright golden green. Antennae (fig. 199) with the third joint bulbose, not longer 

 than the second joint ; arista terminal, long and thin, and starting from about the 

 centre of the end of the third joint. 



' Thorax with coarse golden or pale yellow depressed pile or scales, amongst which 

 there may be some longer thinner erect hairs ; pleurae with the usual clumps of 

 pubescence on the mesopleuraj and metapleurse ; metanotum with a large dense 

 clump on each side-hump. 



Abdomen even if elongate yet proportionately short when compared with Leptis. 

 Pubescence mainly composed of short coarse depressed golden or pale yellow pile or 

 scales which may be easily rubbed off. 



Legs long, thin, and graceful ; tibiae and the basal joint of the tarsi especially 

 long and thin ; front tibise shorter, but the posterior tibiae longer, than their tarsi. 

 Femora bearing curious golden brown scales behind the anterior pair except at 

 the tip, and in front of the hind pair ; front tibiae without any spur, middle tibiae 

 with two strong equal spurs, hind tibiae with only one spur; front tarsi without 

 any "touch hairs " ; front claws and pulvilli of the male not distorted ; claAvs small. 



Wings rather broad, of true Leptid venation but with the anal cell always closed ; 

 cubital fork long and rather narrow on the basal half ; radial vein dipped down to 

 make room for the stigma ; discal cross-vein placed at the basal quarter of the discal 

 cell ; small cross-vein very near the base of the discal cell ; subcostal vein bearing 

 tiny bristles. Alar squamaj of moderate size and with a short marginal fringe com- 

 posed of a single row of hairs. 



The species occur in moist meadows and near water ; they very soon 

 lose their delicate coloring and their golden scales, and consequently fresh 

 specimens in very perfect condition are eminently desirable for collec- 

 tions. The larvse live in rotting wood or vegetable mould. 



This genus may be distinguished from Le])tis by the single spur on 

 the hind tibiae, by the outstanding not drooping palpi, by the golden pile on 

 the thorax and abdomen, and practically always by the closed anal cell, 

 though there is one European species of Le^tis {L.funebris Meig.) with a 

 closed anal cell ; the shape of the third joint of the antenme distinguishes 

 it from any of the Chrysopilince Qxceiii Oviphalojihora, Si\i^ horn that the 

 long thin arista at once separates it. The dense clump of pubescence on 

 the hump on each side of the metanotum provides a character which dis- 

 tinguishes it from the allied genera. 



Chnjsopilus is a well-recognised genus containing a large number of 

 species from most parts of the world, though their headquarters appear 

 to be in North and South America. 



Synonymy.— MacqnsiYt distinguished this genus in 1826 under the name of 

 Chryso2nhis and although he altered the name to Chrysojnia in 1834 there is no 

 need to accept his change, nor need Loew in 1840 have claimed to have corrected 

 Macquart s original name to Chrysopihis. 



Table of Species. 



1 (2) Femora black. Larger species. 1 cristatus. 



2 (1) Femora yellow. Smaller species. 2 aureus. 



C. cristatus appears to be very common in England, and is distinguished from 

 the very common European C. auratus by its wings being less brown and becoming 

 orange about the base. 



1. C. cristatus Fabricius. Wings brownish and with no markings 

 except the stigma. Abdomen without bands. Femora black. 



