APIOCERID^ 613 



Legs not strong, but provided with numerous bristles on the tibiae and usually 

 on the femora though sometimes only sparsely on the anterior femora ; tibiae with 

 long apical spurs, and the four basal tarsal joints bearing terminal circlets of bristles, 

 but the tarsi altogether not so stout nor so much armed as in the Asilidce. Pulvilli 

 two, well developed ; empodium absent or only represented by a bristle ; claws 

 fairly long and strongly curved. 



Wings with a venation rather suggestive of the Mydaidoe, but very distinct in 

 the position of the disca.l cross-vein and in the shape of the discal and fourth 

 posterior cells ; mediastinal vein very long ; subcostal vein also very long, and 

 receiving the radial and (usually) the upper branch of the cubital fork before its tip ; 

 upper branch of the discal vein ( = upper veinlet from the discal cell) curved up 

 parallel to the branches of the cubital fork, and ending a little before the wing-tip ; 

 prffifurca moderately long ; discal cross-vein almost upright and placed near the 

 middle of the discal cell ; discal cell almost pentagonal because the end is blunt ; 

 fourth posterior cell bluntly closed and rather small ; basal cells all large and long, 

 fully half the length of the wing ; posterior cells distinctly five ; ambient vein 

 complete. Wing-membrane smooth and practically bare. Alul» verjr much 

 developed. Squamae (alar) long but narrow, and bearing a long dense fringe all 

 along the margin; thoracal squamae absent. Halteres comparatively small and 

 inconspicuous. 



Eather large, elongate, shortly but rather densely though inconspicuously 

 pilose flies of Thcrcva-Wi^Q appearance or still more resembling some species 

 of 3rax, but easily distinguished by the peculiar MydasASkQ venation and 

 by the strong macrocheetse on the sides of the thorax. The family has 

 had a very chequered career, the species having been associated with the 

 Mydaidce and Nemestrinidoi through their venation, with the Tlurmidm 

 through their general appearance, and with the Asilidce; Osten Sacken 

 at one time considered them to be true Asilinw allied to the genus Erax, 

 but subsequently considered them entitled to subfamily rank next to 

 the Asilincc ; Williston on the other hand has contended strongly that 

 they are distinct from any other family, and I agree with him; they are 

 certainly quite distinct from the Mydaidce and have no relationship what- 

 ever to the Ncmcstrinidce. The long subcostal vein distinguishes them 

 from the Thcrevidoe ; the strong bristles on the sides of the thorax dis- 

 tinguish them from the Mydaidce ; while the short beardless face, the 

 only slightly excavated vertex, the spatulate palpi, and the short collar 

 distinguish them from the Asilidce. 



The Apiocerida: are very few in number, only about twelve species 

 having been described; they are mainly recorded from America and 

 Australia, but a species has recently been described from South Africa 

 and a male of a small species in Bigot's collection was labelled " Ceylon " ; 

 it is not at all probable that any will occur in the Palsearctic region. 

 The perfect insects are flower lovers and are not predaceous ; according to 

 Williston the mouth -parts show a much closer relationship to the Mydaidw 

 and Therevidce than to the Asilidce. 



