190 SYEPHID^. 



Genus MEGASPIS, Macq. 

 Meyaspis, Macquart, Dipt. Exot. ii, 2, p. 27 (1842 j. 



Genotype, Eristalis chrysopygus, AVied., the first of the two 

 species iiicliuled in tiie geinis by Macquart ; by present designa- 

 tion. 



The general characters are those of Eristalis. Head, thorax and 

 abdomen about equally wide; whole body usually densely punctuate. 

 Head hemispherical, large, a small, rather shallow pit on each 

 side of face at lower corner of eye ; a narrow baud above upper 

 mouth-edge, and a small space just below antennre, smooth, 

 impunctate; a small space above antennae with wrinkled surface, 

 usually visible below the pubescence ; eyes bare ; contiguous in 

 (5 for a long- distance, upp.^r facets larger than lower ones ; frons 

 in 5 broad, nearly linear, slightly convex. Face barely cut away 

 below base of antennae, only ujoderately prominent, descending 

 very little below t!ie eyes in profile. Antennae comparatively 

 suiall, 3rd joint oblong-ovate, drooping, arista basal, bare, slightly 

 or conspicuously plumose on both sides. Thorax thick, distinctly 

 broader than long ; with short dense pubescence, or bare except 

 for the minute stiffhair set in each minute tubercle. Scutellum 

 very large and broad, its vestiture as on thorax. Abdomen thick, 

 as long as or slightly longer than thoi'ax, obconical or with rounded 

 tip, densely pubescent or tomentose. Leys comparatively short 

 and weak; hind femora normally neither incrassate nor toothed, 

 but with a distinct tooth in at least one species (il/. crassus). 

 Winys as in Eristalis ; 3rd vein generally with a small appendix 

 at lowest point of loop. 



Ranye. South Asia, China, Japan ; West and South Africa, 

 Abyssinia. 



This genus can usually be easily recognised from Eristalis by 

 the peculiar small wrinkled space above the antennae, which in 

 perfect specimens requires careful looking for beneath the dense 

 pubescence of the face. The species have a certain facies of their 

 own, due to their short, thick, robust shape. They are few and 

 readily distinguished. Some authors adopt PJiytomia, Guerin, in 

 place of Mayaspis. Major Austen kindly informed me of the 

 suggested change some years ago, but the claim of the former 

 name does not seem absolutdy certain, so I hesitate to accept the 

 alteration. 



Table of Species *. 



1. Hind femora with a conspicuous tooth below 



near tip crassus, Fabr., p. 197. 



Hind femora unarmed. 2. 



2. Arista bare errans, Fabr., p. 199. 



Arista very distinctly phniiose ou basal half. 3. 



3 a. Basal half of wing (or thereabouts) dia- 

 gonally all black ; abdomen with dense 



golden-yellow pube^^cence on last seg- [p. 200. 



ment chri/sopygus, Wied., 



* De Meijere gives some notes and a table of species, Tijd. v. Ent. li, 

 pp. 240, 241 (1908). 



