124 mvTiDJE. 



ryi ;|:- 



Genus LEPTIS, F. 



Leptis, Fabiicius, Syst. Antl. p. 69 (1805). 



Rhagio, Fabricius, IS_yst. Entoin. p. 761 (1775). 



Si/lvicola {Sylvicolce) , Harris, Expos. Engl. Ins. p. 100 (1782). 



Genotype, L. scoJopacea, ¥. (as Bhagio scolopaceus) ; by definite 

 selection by Fabricius at the erection of Leptis. 



Read transverse, about as broad as thorax ; face very short, 

 quadrangular, bare, socketed between the large eye-margins (or 

 side-cheeks), the latter separated from the face itself by a deep 

 channel, and bearing long, rather conspicuous pubescence. Pro- 

 boscis prominent, thick, cylindrical, short, with distinct ribbed 

 labella ; palpi 2-jointed, distinct, with bristly pubescence, rather 

 drooping. Eyes bare, contiguous or subcontiguous in S ■, facets of 

 uniform size, or nearly so ; in 5 well separated, the frons with a 

 shallow transverse suture a little above the antennae. Antennse 

 sliort, porrect ; 3rd joint short, conical or almost reniform ; arista 

 apical, rather long, tine, and upturned. Thorax practically 

 quadrangular, with rounded corners, slightly arched ; pubescence 

 ou the disc short, well distributed, rather bristly, with depressed 

 pile intermixed ; pleurae mainly bare ; prothorax and metapleurae 

 ■with rather long distinct pubescence. Abdovien nearly twice as 

 long as thorax, elongate-conical, with at least seven obvious seg- 

 ments ; pubescence fairly abundant, often rather bristly, but never 

 like adpressed pile, short except at the basal corners. Genitalia 

 in c? rather prominent, knobbed, and blunt; ovipositor of $ jointed, 

 appearing like an 8th segment, with two pairs of ovate lamellae. 

 Legs rather long, especially the hind pair ; hind femora slightly 

 thickened; coxae rather long ; front tibiae without spurs; front 

 tarsi W'ith "touch hairs" below. f Wings as in Atrichops, but the 



* The name Lepfis is of too old standing to be changed, and Yerrall 

 thoroughly explains all questions of synonymy concerning it (Brit. Flies, 

 V, p. 2W2). 



t In a paper by Mik (Wien. ent. Zeit. xviii, p. 230, 1899) it has been sug- 

 gested that there exists an organ of touch below the front tarsi in sonie genera 

 of Lei'tid.e, Tabanib.e, DoLicnoPoniD.E, Empid.e, and some groups of Acalyp- 

 TRATA and Nejiatoceua, in the shape of several long fine hairs, curved 

 towards the tips, which project beyond the normal short stijBP pubescence and 

 the ratlier longer, regularly arranged, stiff bristles. He has noticed that some 

 species of Leptis, when resting on leaves, sometimes support the body on the 

 four posterior legs and make a sweeping curved movement witli the front 

 tarsi, as though brushing up minute particles from the surface, after which 

 they appear to hold the collected matter between the tarsi, and bending down 

 the head seem to imbibe it through the proboscis. These "touch hairs" 

 occur mainly below the front tarsi, though existing to a less extent on the 

 middle p;iir also, where they ai"e not lor.ger than the ordinary pubescence and 

 bristles, whilst they are absent on the hind tarsi. In Aihcrix VHtn/hici/a, F., a 

 not uncommon European species, these hairs are abundant, though almost 

 absent in A. ihis, F., whilst ni other Leptid genera, including Chrj/sopi/iis, 

 closely allied to Lcptis, they are not present. They exist, however, in Tabinius, 

 and ill this character Mik sees an additional kinship between LeptiD/E and 

 Tabanid.e. Verrall gives a translation of this interesting paper (Brit. Flies, 

 T, p. 236). 



