230 THE DIPTERA-BRACHYCERA. OF TASMANIA, 



turn of Lhe male. Legs with all joints simple, and prac- 

 tically bare. Wings as in the male. 



Tlie present species, so far as the male is concerned, is 

 easily recognised by the velvet-black thorax and pale blue 

 abdomen; the female, however, closely resembles those of 

 both Empis hellatorius and Hilara efficiens, and as the 

 females of these three species are very liable to be con- 

 fused, it may be as well to point out the distinguishing 

 characters. JJ iUira efficieiu is distinguished from the other 

 two species by the short, upturned mediastinal vein which 

 meets the costa, whilst Empis hell atari us is distinguished 

 bv the long proboscis, light brown legs, and thorax with 

 two faint grey stripes, Hilar opus pereyrinus by the short- 

 er proboscis, black legs, and thorax with four very distinct 

 black stripes. 



Hilar opus per egr inns is a common spring species. Both 

 sexes may be seen skimming over the surface of ponds 

 and streams, and sometimes over the bare ground, and 

 may also be met with resting on bracken. My dates range 

 from October 16 to November 7. 



HiLAROPUS ECHINATUS, Sp. uov. (Fig. 42d.) 



Thorax black; abdomen black, with white, tomentose, 

 lateral, hindmarginal spots on each segment, and tufts of 

 very long lateral bristles ; legs entirely black ; halteres 

 black. 



Length. Male, 9 mm. 



Hab. Mangalore. 



J/rt/e. Face and front black. Proboscis about one-and- 

 a-half times the height of head. Palpi short, about one- 

 quarter the length of the proboscis, grey, bearing long 

 yellow hairs. Antennae black, about the length of the 

 head, the iirst and second joints short, the third expand- 

 ed, about twice as long as the first two together, and ter- 

 minated by a short style, which is a,bout one-third its 

 length. Thorax velvetrblack, with two very indistinct 

 pale stripes, the whole bearing dense black pubescence ; 

 scutellum velvet black, with a fringe of numerous very 

 long, weak, black bristles; metapleural bristles wanting. 

 Abdomen black, with white tomentose lateral spots on the 

 posterior margins of each segment, the sides with tufts of 

 long, black bristles; genitalia black, hardly rising above 

 the level of the abdomen. Legs black, the first joint of 

 anterior tarsi long and modorately thickened ; all femora 

 and tibice w^ith dense pubescence, but this is not nearly 

 so long as in H. pereririnus. Wings brownish, the medias- 

 tinal vein straio'ht, and jiot reaching the costa; cubital 



