110 SYKPHID.i;. 



proximal half black and distal half reddish-brown ; extreme tip 

 black. Under side beset with several rows of very short spines, 

 and an additional row of about 8 or 9 longer ones. Tibise distinctly 

 but not greatly curved, pale yellow, rather less than the apical 

 lialf black; tarsi all black, metatarsi distinctly enlarged and 

 lengthened. Winc/s pale grey ; subcostal cell yellowish from tip 

 of auxiliary vein ; 4tli longitudinal vein curved upwards to 3rd in 

 a very rounded loop ; 5th vein bent upwards at a slightly obtuse 

 angle ; halteres yellow. 



Length, 7 mm. 



Described from a single 2 in the Indian Museum presented by 

 Dr. A. D. Imms, taken by him at Bhowali, Kumaon District, 

 5700 ft., 2. vii. 1910. A second 5 was taken by Col. Nurse, 

 Simla, viii. 1898 ; in company with yet another $ , probably con- 

 specific, but with the abdomen all black except the basal half of 

 the 3rd segment, -which is yellowish, and the apical two-thirds of 

 the hind femora, which are all black. 



87. Spliegina asciiformis, Brun. 



Sphcfjina asciiformis, Brunetti, Eec. Ind. Mus. xi, p. 223 (1915). 



$ . Head : frons seneous-black, with a little yellowish-grey 

 tomentose dust along the eye-margins. Antennae with 1st and 

 2nd joints dark brown, 3rd joint black with long dorsal arista 

 placed at the base of the joint. Mouth-parts reddish-brown. 

 Occiput dark grey, lliorax dusted with yellowish-grey, a little 

 lighter on the shoulders ; three moderately wide dorsal infuscated 

 stripes, separated from each other by less than their own width. 

 Scutellum shining black, with a little hoary dust. Sides of thorax 

 blackish, with a little greyish dust on upper parts. Ahdomen : 

 the 1st segment narrow, 2nd very much contracted at base, thence 

 suddenly widened ; rich shining deep mahogany-brown, nearly 

 black, with very sparse and almost microscopic whitish hairs. 

 Venter yellow-ochre ; two small black spots in a dorsal line near 

 the base, and a median well marked black line on the apical half. 

 Legs : anterior four bright yellow. Hind femora much incras- 

 sated, yellow, a blackish band in the middle (incomplete below), 

 and a complete broad black ring at the tip. Under side with two 

 rows of minute black spines ; hind tibiae pale yellow, a long black 

 streak below at base, and a blackish ring (incomplete on upper 

 side) at tip. Hind tarsi brown, their metatarsi distinctly thicker 

 than the tibiae, nearly half as long and about as wide as rest of 

 tarsi. Wings absolutely clear, brilliantly iridescent ; halteres 

 blackish. 



Length, 4 mm. 



Described from a unique $ taken by me, 29. v. 1910, at Dar- 

 jiling. In the Indian Museum. 



From the small size and very contracted base of the abdomen, 

 this species closely resembles an Ascia. 



