MELANOSXOMA. 



49 



than upper ones ; distance from upper angle of frons to the well- 

 defined slightly ridged anterior margin a little greater than that 

 of ocular contiguity; vertical triangle and frons siiining seneous- 

 black with black or brown hairs ; face and lower part of head 

 a;neous, all grey-dusted except the small central bump and 

 moderately produced upper mouth-edge. Antennae blackish, 

 under side of 3rd joint to a greater or less extent brownish- 

 orange, sometimes tiiat of 2nd joint also ; arista microscopically 

 pubescent. Occiput grey, the colour nai'rowly visible behind eyes 

 inprotile; occipital margin with yellowish-brown hairs behind 

 vertex, and a fringe below of short whitish hairs. Proboscis 

 blaekisli. In $ , frons almost exactly one-third of head at level 

 of antennae, a little narrowed above; at about the middle at each 

 side of frons, contiguous to eyes, a subtriangular grey or yellowisli- 

 grey dusted spot of varying size, sometimes large enough nearly 

 or quite to meet the other in the middle line ; sides of face 

 similarly grey-dusted, leaving central bump and upper mouth-edge 

 rather more broadlv bare than in cj" . Thorax and scutellum all 



Fig. 13. — Melanostoma orientale, VVicd,, frons and face in profile. 



shining a;neons, with soft yellowish to greyish or brownish-grey 

 pubescence. Abdomen moderately shining black, 1st segment and 

 anterior corners of 2nd a little more shining; 2nd segment in 

 cJ with a pair of orange-yellow spots, rounded on inner sides, 

 placed a little below the middle of side margins of segments ; 3rd 

 and 4th segments with a pair of large quadrate to oblong orange- 

 yellow spots, placed on side margins and attaining anterior border 

 butvvellclear of hind border; inner sidesof tbesespots straight, and 

 separated from each other by a moderately broad median space ; 

 5tli segment wholly jcneous. In $, spots on 2nd segment often 

 elongate and diagonally placed, or reduced or indistinct; those on 

 3rd and 4th segments subtriangular, ])laced on anterior margin, 

 the inner sid(; straight, the third or outer side often slightly sinuate; 

 5th segment with a pair of narrow spots on anterior corners, well 

 separated. Pubescence of abdomen in S and $ from yellowish- 

 grey to whitish, soft and longer at sides. Venti-r black, with 

 some pale marks somew liat corresponding with those of dorsum, 



E 



