CURTSOTOXUM. 



295 



less black. Abdomen ovate or elongate-ovate, often well arched, 

 finely puQctate, generally wirli a pair of curved yellow spots on 

 2nd to 5th segments. Legs simple, mainly yellow. Wings with 

 venation of Si/rphits, but ^rd vein sometimes more inclined to 

 form a downward bend into the 1st posterior cell ; alulae large. 



Life-history unknown, but it is suspected that the early stages 

 are passed in rotten wood or in the diseased sap of trees. 



Range. Europe, Central and «outh Asia, Siberia, North Africa, 

 Orient, North America, West Indies. 



Fig. G2. — Chrysofoxum baphi/rus, Walk, {scxfasciatum, Brun.), ?. 



A very well-defined and conspicuous genus of rather large flies, 

 frequently black and with pairs of curved yellow spots on the 

 abdomen. The long antenna), the yellow markings of the body, the 

 nearly wholly yellow legs, the yellowish anterior portion of the 

 wings and the rather faint greyish stripes on the thorax, with the 

 typically Syrphid venation, combine to make the genus easily 

 distinguishable once it has been recognised. The adult flies love 

 the sunshine and are generally distributed in sunny spots, borders 

 of woods and similar situations, though they are very seldom 

 actually common. The relative lengths of the antennal joints are 

 not given, as the diflferences do not seem to warrant their being 

 regarded as of specific importance. 



Tdhle of S/H'cief!. 



1. Abdomen with i'lid, ."lid and 4tli segments 

 with a definite (though sometimes small or 

 relatively indistinct) yellowisii triinigle on 

 hind nnirgin, generally quite obvious and 

 large, and always so on at least one or two 



segments 2. 



Abdomen without any of the segments 

 bearing such a hiud marginal trianirle. . . 3 



