54 THE DIPTBRA-BRACHYCERA OF TASMANIA, 



antennae. AntennsB situated about middle of the head in 

 profile, about the same length as the head ; the first joint 

 slightly longer than the second, the third a little longer than 

 the first two together. (The anteonse resemble those of 

 Lasiopa). Thorax lengthening behind ; scutellum with four 

 spines, the two terminal spines being the longest. Abdomen 

 short, but extremely broad. Legs simple. Wings with the 

 costal margin (in the male) greatly inflated ; the mediastinal 

 and subcostal veins apparently coalesce ; cubital with a very 

 long fork, the lower branch longer than the stem, and twice 

 the length of the upper branch ; discal cell with four issuing 

 veinlets, the first, second, and fourth reaching the wing 

 margin, the third only half way to the margin ; all veins 

 distinct. 



This genus may be recognised at once by the extremely 

 broad abdomen in conjunction with the metallic colouring. 

 It seems to come near to Macquart's genus Anacanthella, 

 but AnacantheUa has the scutellum unarmed, and eyes of the 

 male with only short pubescence. From Antissella it is dis- 

 tinyruished by the much broader abdomen, and spined 

 scutellum, and, in the male, by the diflferently placed eyes 

 and more inflated wings. 



Lecogaster c^rulea, Sp. nov. (Fig. 5). 



A bright metallic blue fly, with a very broad abdomen and 

 four- spined scutellum. 



Length. Male, 8 mm. 



Breadth of abdomen. Male, 4.5 mm. 



Hab. Bagdad. 



Male. Head broader than long ; face densely hairy ; front 

 shining bronze, with a small tubercle at vertex. Eyes densely 

 hairy, widely separated above, but gradually approaching 

 until at the antennae they are but narrowly separated, below 

 which they again recede. Antennse black, the second joint 

 somewhat cup-shaped and shorter than the first, the third 

 slightly longer than the first and second together, annulated, 

 gradually tapering, and ending bluntly without any distinct 

 stigma. Thorax and scutellum metallic blue, covered with 

 long black hairs ; scutellum with four marginal spines. 

 Abdomen as broad as long, metallic blue, with short white 

 pubescence. Legs black, rather stout. Wings hyaline, with 

 a narrow pale brown stigma ; veins brown and distinct. 



Female unknown. 



This interesting species occurs both in Victoria and Tas- 

 mania, but seems to be generally rare. In Tasmania I have 

 only met with a single specimen ; it occurred in the bush at 

 Bagdad on November 17, 1912. The only other specimen 



