182 THE DIPTERA-BRACHYCERA OF TASMANIA, 



Male. Face yellow ; moustache yellow, with a few short 

 black hairs above; back of head with tufts of very stiff, 

 black, post-ocular bristles. Antennse black, the third 

 joint hardly longer than the first. Thorax dee^p black, 

 with two bright yellow median stripes, and sides also 

 bright yellow; thoracic bristles very long, black. Abdomen 

 unusually robust, yellowish-grey, the sides of segments 

 with tufts of yellow bristles ; genitalia black, large and 

 globular. Legs with femora and tibiae red, knees and tarsi 

 black, all joints bearing black bristles. Wings tinged 

 with brown. 



Female resembles the male; the side-bristles of the ab- 

 domen are yellow on the first to fifth segments, black on 

 the sixth to eighth segments); ovipositor very small, and 

 almost concealed beneath the last abdominal segment. 



The above descriptions are those of the ordinary Tas- 

 manian forms, but do not quite agree with Walker's t3rpe 

 ii: the British Museum, which has the sides of abdomen 

 with strong black bristles ; I consider, however, that the 

 type specimen is merely an unusual variety of the same 

 species. 



A. alcetus is easily recognised by its short robust shape, 

 bright yellow thoracic strijDes, dull grey abdomen, and 

 yellow abdominal bristles. It may be found settled on 

 roads, or on the ground in open grassy country, but can- 

 not be described as common. My dates range from De- 

 cember 2G to January 25. 



AsiLus DiscuTiENS, Walk. 



Moustache yellow, with some black hairs above and be- 

 low ; thorax and abdomen black, the latter clothed with 

 long yellow pubescence, which is not confined to the three 

 basal segments (thus differing from A. inglorius, Marlay) ; 

 femora and tibipe red, with knees, tarsi, and bristles black. 



Length. Female, 32 mm. 



Hab. New South Wales. 



The occurrence of this species in Tasmania requires con- 

 firmation. 



AsiLUS SYDNEYENSis, Macq. 



Moustache white ; antenn?e black ; thorax black, witli 

 two rather obscure median stripes and sides yellow ; ab- 

 domen bright fulvous, wnth base and apex black ; femora 

 and tibice bright orange-red, with knees, tarsi, and bristles 

 black. 



Length. Male, 21-26 mm.; female, 22-24 mm. 



Hab. New South Wales. 



The occurrence of this species in Tasmania requires con- 

 firmation. 



