A MoHognipIi of Egypl'um Diplcra. 11 



contraeted. At tlie liiiid maigin oi' tlie prolhoracal segment lie tlic 

 anterior spiracles; thc_v foi-ni shorl^ brownisli, a little cuvved 

 horns, but they may be quitc retractcd and then only seen as points. 

 Above, on the first abdominal segineDt two somcwhat circular 

 spots are seen: thèse are the points tlirougli wliich the anterior 

 spiracular tubes in the pupa protrude. 



The anus lies below in front nf the tail; protruding fi'om its 

 opening is sometimes sccii a bundlc nf thread-like apiiendices, the 

 use of which is not knovvn; Trybom takes them to be an organ of 

 locomotion, perhaps also of respiration. The larva is of a greyish 

 or yellowish-white colour and about 18 nun. in leiigth exckiding 

 the tail. The pupa is brownish, its upper anterior end forms a 

 flattened declivity, at the hinder border of which the anterioi' 

 spiracular tubes protrude; thèse tubes are long, reaching 3 mm., a 

 little curved, directed upwards and forwards and a little divcrging; 

 on the lower side they are beset with sniall tnbercles (in other spe- 

 cies snch as tenacr thèse tnbercles lie on the sides and above, but 

 not below); at the front margin of the pupa the anterior larval 

 spiracles are seen as two short horns, the pupa has thiis in ail four 

 horns, two long ones above and two short ones below them. The 

 larval tail is still found in the pupa, curved in varions ways, and 

 on the ventral side, the ijrolegs are visible. The length is about 

 12 mm. 



No distinguishing characters are known for the différent 

 species, but according to Miall snch may be found in the sniall 

 spinules on the dermis; thèse being in some species simple, in 

 others branched in varions ways. For pupating the larva quits the 

 water and pupates in the vieinity, generally on the earth but they 

 are also sometimes seen at the surface of the water or they may 

 suspend themselves on stalks, palings etc. by the tail. The eggs 

 are deposited a little above the surface of the water. The eggs are 

 whitish, oblong and finely shagreened. 



The species of Eristalis are hanHsome, conspicuous flies and 

 fairly good hoverers ; they occur generally on f lowers especially on 

 Compositse, Umbelliferse and Cruciferae in gardens as well as in 

 waste places, and in valleys; I hâve even found E. quinqiielinea- 

 tus hovering over a bush of Zygophyllum coccineum in the désert 

 more than one hundred miles away f rom any cultivation. They also 

 frequently occur near water. 



Of the genus more than 45 species hâve been recorded from 

 the Palaearctic région and of thèse hitherto only 4 hâve been found 

 in Egypt. 



