50 THE DIPTERA-BRACHYCEBA. OF TASMANIA, 



The Tasmanian species are distinguished as follows 



A. incisuralis, Macq. 



Medium-sized species. 



Scutellar spines long, yellow, 

 with the base metallic 

 green. 



Abdomen in female orange- 

 brown, with black incisions. 



Costa of wings straight. 



Femora partly black. 



Thorax in female bronze 

 greeu. 



A. costata, Sp. nov. 

 Very small species. 

 Scutellar spines short, and 

 altogether metallic green. 



Abdomen in female alto- 

 gether blackish brown. 



Costa of wings sinuated. 



Femora yellow. 



Thorax in female emerald 

 green. 



AcTiNA INCISURALIS, Macq. 



Syn. Beris incisuralis, Macq. 



Svn. Beris Jilipalpis, Macq. 



Thorax emerald green (male), or bronze greeu (female) ; 

 abdomen brown (male), or orange-brown (female), with 

 incisions black ; scutellar spines yellow, with the base dark 

 metallic greeu; hind femora black (male), or orauge with 

 apical third or half black (female). 



Length. Male, 7 mm.; female, 6 mm. 



Hab. Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales. 



Male. Face, front, palpi, and antennae black, the face 

 more or less covered with white j)ubescence. Eyes separated, 

 densely hairy. Thorax and scutellum metallic emerald or 

 bluish green ; scutellum with six long marginal spines, which 

 are yellow, except at the extreme base, where they agree in 

 colour with the scutellum. Abdomeu brown, darker at base 

 and apex, and with junctions of segments broadly black. 

 Legs with the first and second pairs yellow, with exception of 

 the tarsi and basal two-thirds of femora, which are black ; 

 hind pair black, with the base of the tibiae and tarsi dull 

 brown or yellow. Wings with a large black stigma; discal 

 cell emits four veiulets, the first, second, and fourth complete, 

 the third only extending two-thirds the distance to the wing 

 margin. 



Female differs considerably in appearance from the male. 

 The head is smaller, the face covered with white pubescence, 

 the eyes more widely seimrated, and bearing only a little, 

 very short and inconspicuous pubescence. The pubescence of 

 the thorax and scutellum is short, and the colour rather a 

 bronze than an emerald green. Abdomen is less parallel- 

 aided, approaching an ovate shape, and the colour is lighter 

 and brighter. Legs are more orange ; first and second pairs 

 have the femora scarcely darkened, hinder pair have the 



