FEUIT FLIES OF THE GENUS DACUS. 117 



Head entirely reddish yellow ; occiput without a pale border around the eyes, or 

 only with trace of an indistinct one at the lower part ; ocellar dot black ; frons 

 narrower than an eye, much narrower than in the preceding species, with a less distinct 

 dark spot in the middle or on the sides at the insertion of the orbital bristles ; three 

 pairs of lower fronto-orbitals ; lunula small, shining reddish ; face, cheeks and 

 jowls as in the preceding species, but the black stripes in the antennal grooves are 

 shorter, reaching above only to the middle of the face ; there is a weak but distinct 

 genal bristle, which is entirely wanting in M. sphaeroidalis. Antennae entirely 

 yellow, only a little longer than the face, the two basal joints not being elongated and 

 the first being much shorter than the second ; third joint elongate, with parallel 

 sides, obtuse at end ; arista bare, thin, yellow, longer than the whole antenna. 

 Palpi and proboscis as in the preceding. All the bristles of the head are black, like 

 those of the thorax and scutellum ; in the case of the type there are two outer vertical 

 bristles on the left side, the supernumerary one being as strong as the normal and 

 closely approximated to it. Thorax as in the preceding species, but the humeral 

 calli are more reddish than yellow, and behind the suture there is a blackish patch 

 on each side, margined outwardly with a less defined yellowish stripe ; the suture 

 is broadly interrupted in the middle and the sutural calli are reddish yellow ; meso- 

 pleural stripe reddish yellow, broadly margined with black in front, and shortly 

 continued below on the upper part of the sternopleura, which is black (not reddish, 

 as in sphaeroidalis) ; hypopleural spot double ; a small black spot above the hind 

 coxae ; mesophragma with a broad black stripe on each side. Halteres and 

 scutellum as in preceding, but this last is less bright yellow. Chaetotaxy as in 

 sphaeroidalis ; middle scapular long and yellow, exterior black ; the anterior 

 supra-alar is likew^se wanting, but the anterior notopleural is as well developed as 

 the posterior one. Abdomen elongate, not properly stalked, only narrowed near the 

 base ; pubescence as long as in sphaeroidalis ; coloration also similar, but the 

 second segment bears a transverse ovate black spot near the base, and the fourth and 

 fifth have a black spot-like stripe on each side near the base. Venter yellow, with 

 black middle spots on the hind half ; basal joint of ovipositor broad, in the shape of a 

 trapezium, flattened, yellow, with long pubescence. Legs as in the preceding species, 

 but the basal half of the middle femora is whitish. Wings hyaline, without yellow 

 tinge; fore border only pale brownish to the third vein ; apical spot as in the preceding, 

 but of a grej;^ colour, with two dark stripes along the third and fourth veins, the first"^ 

 being twice as broad as the second ; anal cell without dark stripe, only with a dark 

 yellowish base ; small cross-vein straight. 



Type $ (British Museum) a single specimen from Dehra Dun, Bhimtal Kumtal, 

 10. vi. 1912 {Prof. A. D. Imms). 



23. Meilesis crabroniformis, Bezzi (1914). 



Monacrostichus crabroniformis, Bezzi, Bull. Ent. Res., v, 1914, p. 153. 



A very characteristic species on account of its small size, entirely black face, weak 

 anterior supra-alar bristle and single hypopleural spot. Originally described from 

 Yerkaud, Shevaroy Hills, and not seen subsequently ; type in the British Museum. 

 (C288) b2 



