456 PHILOPOTIN^— PANOPIN^. 



PHILOPOTINiE. 



Prothorax very strongly developed so that the side-plates join dorsally 



and form a remarkable shield in front of the mesonotum. 



Mesonotum exceedingly humped anteriorly so that the head is very much 

 depressed and the abdomen bent downwards more than in the other subfamilies. 

 Proboscis long or short. Venation very imperfect (fig. 260 E). 



The essential character of this subfamily lies in the remarkable dorsal 

 development of the prothorax, and as a somewhat similar development 

 characterises the Toxophoinnm in the Bomlylidce (which also have the 

 drooping abdomen) it may be worth testing whether any closer relationship 

 exists between these insects. 



The Philopotince are represented in the Palsearctic region by only one 

 species, PMlopota murina Loew, which is confined to Greece and Asia 

 Minor. 



PANOPINiE. 



Prothorax not forming a dorsal shield in front of the mesonotum. 

 Third joint of the antennae long and strap-shaped, and without any apical 

 style or arista. 



The characters given above are those which limit this subfamUy. The venation 

 gives the basal and discal cells rather well defined (fig. 260 A). 



The Panopince in Kertesz's Katalog der Palilarctischen Dipt, included 

 three genera and seven species, but I feel convinced that there should be 

 only one genus and one species. Pterodontia is better placed in the 

 Cyrtince ; Physegaster is apparently identical with Astomella, and I possess 

 a specimen of A. Lindenii from Greece with the third posterior cell just as 

 incomplete as in Macquart's figure of Physegaster maculata ; the specimens 

 of Astomella seem to have the dark abdominal markings very variable or 

 even absent, and an examination of the original types of Westwood's A. 

 a'piformis and A. homhiformis (two most inappropriate names) has convinced 

 me that they are only the sexes of a large Astomella ; A. Lindenii is said 

 to differ from A. curviventris by its larger size, but many species of Cyrtidce 

 vary exceedingly in size. On the whole I have come to the conclusion 

 that all the specimens recorded from Spain and Portugal to Syria and 

 Algeria belong to A. curviventris Duf. 



