Asilidae. 47 



The larvæ live under bark and in stubs, especially in pine-trees; 

 they are carnivorous. Perris (Ann. Soc, Ent. Fr. 4, X, 187U, 212) 

 records the larva of L. gilva as occurring together with larvæ of Spon- 

 dylus buprestoides and Criocephalus rusticus. Beling (Arch, f. Natur- 

 geseh. Jahrg. 48, 199) records the same larva taken under the bark 

 of Pinus silvestris. I have had the larva of L. yilva from stubs of 

 pine-trees and pupæ of L. marginata from similar piaces, Zeller 

 (Scholtz in Entom. Zeitschr. Breslau, 1848, 16) saw L. flava deposit 

 its eggs in a cleft in the stem of a pine-tree. The larva hibernates 

 and the transformation to pupa and development of the imago follow 

 in the next summer. 



The species of Laphria occur in woods and especially in pine- 

 woods; they sit generally on the stems, watching for prey; the prey 

 seenis to some degree to consist of beetles; I have seen L. gilva take 

 some Gerambycid, and I have records of it eating Tomicus typographus 

 and Trypodendron. Poulton 1. c. records from Spain Buprestis flavo- 

 macidata F. and another beetle as prey for L. gibbosa, and Formica 

 rufa L. for L. flava. 



Remarks. The genus Laphria is scarcely formed as narrow as 

 most other Asilid genera, and therefore the species show some difTe- 

 rent characters, Thus the species fall in two groups: one comprising 

 the more robust, densely pilose forms with strong, club-like hind 

 femora and mostly with a spine at the apex of the hind tibiæ in the 

 male; these species do not seem to have special individualised bristles 

 on the thoracic disc or scutellum. The other group comprises the 

 less robust forms with less strong legs, the hind femora not club- 

 shaped and no spine at the apex of the hind tibiæ; these species 

 seem always to have special bristles on the thoracic disc. Of the 

 Danish species L. ephippium belongs to the first, L. gilva and margi- 

 nata to the second group. 



The genus comprises 38 palæarctic species; three have hitherto 

 been found in Denmark. 



Table of Species. 



1. Thorax densely pilose, the hairs yellow on the hind part; 



robust, strongly pilose species 1. ephippium. 



— Thorax black, sparingly pilose; more slender, not den- 

 sely pilose species 2. 



2. Abdomen with red markings, clothed with dense red 

 pubescence 2. gilva. 



— Abdomen black with yellow, not dense pubescence. ... 3. marginata. 



