56 Orthorrhapha brachycera. 



postical vein uniting with the discai vein at a point, rarely forming a 

 very short postical cross-vein; five posterior cells, the fourth closed at 

 a little distance from the margin (in some non-Danish genera the first 

 may be narrowed towards the margin or closed); the anal cell closed; 

 the first basal cell somewhat longer than the second. Alula well 

 developed. Alar squamula small, thickened at the margin and with 

 a long fringe. 



The pattern of the thoracic disc in the Asilinæ is very uniform; 

 it is, as in most other Diptera, caused by the large thoracic muscles 

 or is at all events in some way dependent on these. The ground 

 colour which is caused by a pruinosity is generally greyish or brownish ; 

 the markings are darker and consist of a middle stripe and to each 

 side of it a side stripe; the middle stripe is generally broadest in 

 front, decreasing in breadth backwards and here often pointed , it has 

 often a fine, light middle line. The side stripes do not reach the 

 front end but stop a little behind the humeri; they are divided in 

 three spots each, the first disconnection follows the transverse furrow, 

 the second lies inwards to the wing-root; the last spot is generally 

 small and cuneiform, These are the common markings; besides there 

 may sometimes be a more or less distinct, narrow line between the 

 middle and the side stripes, and a small humeral spot or stripe. 



I have only examined the pupa and a cast larval skin (of N. 

 cyanurus) but the larva has been described by several authors, among 

 others by Beling {atricapillus and cyanurus) (Arch. fiir Naturgesch. 

 Jahrg. 48, 1882, 202—205). It is cylindrical, white, very finely striated 

 longitudinally ; the body consists of thirteen segments, including the 

 head and when the segment-Hke part anterior to the last segment 

 is counted. The head is small, brovvn chitinised, retractile; it is 

 beset with some long hairs. The mouth parts consist of a short, 

 hook-formed labrum ; to each side of this is a small, compressed, knife- 

 shaped mandible and outwards again a longer and broader maxilla 

 with a palpus which has an apical joint sitting on a small basal joint ; 

 the maxilla has spines (movable?) on the inner, lower side. Fig. 54 

 by Brauer (Denkschr. d. Kais. Akad. d. Wiss. math. nat. Kl. XL VII, 1883) 

 answers to my observations, but I think he has sometimes, figs. 55 

 and 56, confounded mandible and maxilla here as in Laphria; 

 the mandibles are hidden and not seen without preparation. The 

 three thoracic segments have a long hair on each side, and the last 

 segment has some (8) long hairs. The larva is amphipneustic with 

 small spiracles on prothorax and on the mentioned penultimate seg- 

 ment or segment-like part, The pupa {forcipiihi, trigonus, cyanurus) 

 is brown ; there are two strong spines in front, directed somewhat 



