DllAPETIS. 381 



Range. Europe, India, Buniia, Java, North Africa, North 

 America, St. Vincent, Chile, Australia. 



Life-liistory unknown. 



Drapetis is conspicuous amongst Erapids on account of its short 

 thick-set body, short robust legs, and the curved 1st, 2nd, and 3rd 

 veins, in conjunction with the absence of the discal and anal cells. 

 The flies frequent fields and meadows in preference to woods, 

 running swiftly over the leaves. Lundbeck thinks some species 

 hibernate in the imago stage. 



One or two subgenera have been set up on, I think, rather 

 weak or inconstant characters, and all the species are here 

 retained under the one generic heading. 



Table of Sjjecies. 



1. Abdomen partly yellowish 2. 



Abdomen wholly black 3. 



2. First and last thirds of abdoDien yellow- 



ish, middle third black vnriec/ata, Brun., p. 381. 



Abdomen dirty yellow, darker posteriorly discoidalis, Bezzi, p. 382. 

 3(a). Tliird antennal joint trapezoidal; all 



femora broadly black from base hrevior, Brun., p. 382. 



{h). Third anteunal joint onion-shaped ; all [p. 383. 



femora with black streak above fascifemorata, Brun., 



(c). Third antennal joint nearly round ; only 



hind femora with black streak on middle [p. 383. 



of upper side rotundicornis, Brun., 



{d). Third antennal joint obcouical ; legs 



all yellow except for brown tarsi-tips . . riifipex, Brun., p. 383. 



311. Drapetis variegata, Brun. 



Drapetis variegata, Brunetti, Eec. lud. Mus. ix, p. 39 (1913). 



5 . Head : occiput and f rons shining black ; eyes as in brevior. 

 Eirst two joints of tlie antennae dark brown ; 3rd black, very 

 elongate conical, with long apical arista. Proboscis short, brown- 

 ish yellow, with yellow hairs. Thorax dark shining brown on 

 anterior part, with tliree black, ]iot very obvious stripes (with, 

 however, linear edges), all of which begin on the anterior margin ; 

 posterior half of thorax more or less blackish. Scutellum 

 yellowish, with blackish dorsum and two long curved apical 

 bristles ; metanotum shining brown. Abdomen with very sparse 

 pale yellow hairs ; basal third (except the extremely narrow black 

 actual base) yellowish ; middle third blackish ; apical third 

 yellowish or brownish yellow ; venter yellowish (in one example 

 somewhat blackish across the middle). Legs wholly bright yellow ; 

 coxae brown, tarsi hardly, if at all, darker. Wings pale yellowish 

 grey, iridescent ; veins and halteres yellowish. 



Length, 2| mm. 



Described from two $ $ (not c? J , as originally stated) from 

 Eangoon, 25. ii. 1908 [Annandale). 



