coxops. 3n3 



276. Conops inter medius, sp. nov, 



6 . Very like miheculosns but quite distinct. The two black 

 spots on the fions, so conspicuous in that species, are absent and 

 there is usually a hlackisli thin median stripe on the frons from 

 the vesicular vertex to the actual base ot" the anteniiie. Proboscis 

 1| to 1| times as long as head, with only the extreme tip and 

 occasionally a short streak on upper side at base, black. 3rd 

 anteunal joint (with style) nearly as long as 2iid, distinctly longer 

 in proportion than in nuheculosus. Pleurae with a vertical, pale 

 golden-yellow or yellowish-white, distinct, rather broad stripe 

 extending from just behind humerus to a point in front ot middle 

 coxa. Hind part of metanotum concolorous, never black. Abdo- 

 men with 2nd segment almost entirely gold-dusted, excepting at 

 the base and along the median line to about the middle of the 

 segment ; 3rd and 4th segments with posterior halt' to three- 

 fourths or more, gold-dusted, the brown ground-colour extending 

 along the median line to a variable distance. The brownish 

 colour in the wings takes the form of a longitudinal darkening to 

 the extent of about half the wing's length, rather than that of 

 an indefinite distal spot. 



In all else as in nuheculosus. The absence of the black frontal 

 spots and the presence of the white stripes on the pleuras are the 

 ])rimary characters of differentiation ; the secondary ones being 

 the black frontal stripe, the almost entirely red proboscis, the 

 entire absence of black on the metanotum and the diiferent dis- 

 tribution of gold dust on the abdomen. 



Length, 9-11 mm. 



Described from a few S c? from Pusa, 23. iii. 1914; 27. iii. 1908 ; 

 18. iv. 1905; ix. 1907 (t>/pe) ; Cliapra {Maclcenzie). Ti/pe sent to 

 the British Museum by Mr. T. 13. Fletcher; cotypes in the Indian 

 Museum and my collection. This species is in appearance inter- 

 mediate bi'tween C. nuheculosus, Big., and P/iysocephuIa aui-antiaca, 

 sp. nov. It also considerably resembles Pliysocepluda mundn, Brun. 

 The 3rd antennal joint is distinctly longer in C. infermedius ; the 

 sides of the face are gilded, not silvery : the femora, even the hind 

 pair, are not in the least incrassated; the basal abdominal segments, 

 even in the c^ , are much wider than those of F. munda $ ; ancl 

 the anterior darkening of the wing extends to the tip of the 3rd 

 vein, being delimited hindwards by this vein, and filling about the 

 anterior half of the 1st posterior cell, or sometimes tlie whole of 

 it, and (more distinctly) the discal cell, the colour fading away 

 graduallv hindwards. In P. vinnda the colour ends distally at 

 the tip of the 2nd vein and does not encroach on the 1st posterior 

 cell. C. intermedins is altogether a more robust insect. 



277. Conops rufofasciatus, sp. nov. 



(^ 2 . J/ead above antenna) brownish-orange, horizontally 

 wriukled; face pale yellow, shimmering golden when seen from 



2a 



