68 THE DIPTERA-BRACHYCERA OF TASMANIA, 



Tlie Tasmauian genera are distinguished as follows: 



1. Costa of wing with a bump and a small tooth-like projec- 



tion near end of subcostal vein ; discal cell present. 



Pteeodontia, Gray. 



2. Costa of wing simple ; discal cell absent, and venation 



very much reduced. O n c o d e s, Latr. 



14. Pterodoktia, Gray. 



Head very small and set so low as to be partially below the 

 greatly arclipd thorax. Antennae of various forms, usually 

 ending in three hair-like rays, but in ibe Tasmanian species 

 terminated by a short thick arista. Thorax greatly arched. 

 Abdomen large and inflated. Legs simple. Wings with the 

 costal margin produced into ii. hump and a small tooth-like 

 projection, whicb, in diflferent species are situated at varying 

 distances from the wing tip. 



This genus may be eiisilv recognised bv the shape of the 

 wings, the curious costal hump, with an adjacent small tooth- 

 like projection, distinguishing it from all other genera. 



Pterodontia is a genus of very wide distribution, although 

 the number of known species is limited. It has not hitherto 

 been recorded from Tasmania, although three species, 

 P. macquartii, Westiv., P. Jlavipes, Mncq., atid P. iwllii, Erichs, 

 have been described from the mainland of Australia. Of 

 these species, however, P. macqnartii and P. flavipes are 

 identical, whilst Westwood was of opinion (Trans. Ent. feoc. 

 Loud. 1848) tliat P. niellii was merely a variety of the same 

 species. The name^au/pe.-? of Macquart, as Mr. F. P. Spry 

 has been good enough to point out to me, was preoccupied by 

 an American species described in " Griffith's Animal 

 Kingdom," and Westwood accordingly proposed the name 

 macqnartii in its place. This, therefore, reduces the .Austra- 

 lian representatives of the genus to the single species P. 

 macquartii, \o which ii new Tasmanian species, P. varieijata, 

 is now added. 



Pterodontia variegata, Sp. nov. (Fig. 10.) 



Head and thorax black ; scutellum yelh.w ; abdomen with 

 first segment black, remaining segments yellow, wirh h broad 

 black dorsal stripe ; legs wit'i anterior pair entirely ytll.w, 

 middle and posterior pairs with femora black and tibiae browo. 



Length. Male, 7.5 mm. 



Hab. Lefroy, 



