A Monograph of Egyptian Dip/era. 33 



316.2. (Melithreptus) (1862) et Nov. Reise, Dipt., 347.19. (Melithrep- 

 tus) (1869); Bonds., Finl. tvaving. Ins., I. 258.4. (1861); Kow., Wien. 

 Entom. Zeitg., IV. 134. (Melithreptus) (1885); Neuhaus, Dipt. 

 Marchica, 113.6. (Melithreptus) (1886); Strobl, Mittheil. Natur- 

 wiss. Ver. Steiermark, XXIX. 1892.162. (Melithreptus) (1893), 

 Wien. Entom. Zeitg., XVIII. 145.97. (Melithreptus) (1899) et 

 Wissensch. Mittheil. Bosn. u. Herceg., VII. 591. (Melithreptus) 

 (1900); Lundb., Vidensk. Meddel., 1898. 304.96. (Melithreptus) 

 (1898); Verr., Brit. FL, VIII 432 et 433. (1901); Villen., Feuil. 

 Jeun. Nature!., XXXIII. 147. (1903). 



= philanthus Schin., (nee Meig.), Verb, zool.-bot. Ver. Wien, 

 VII. 371.8. (Melithreptus) (1857). 



= picta Holmgr., CEfv.Kongl.Vet.Akad.Forhandl., XXIX. 100 

 (1872). 



DIAGNOSIS: — The largest and longest species of this genus. 

 Thorax with its side margins continuously yellow ; abdomen very 

 elongate. 



b' 



DESCRIPTION:— Male: (PI. Ill, fig. 11), Face entirely 

 shining yellow, sometimes with a greenish-yellow tinge, and 

 hearing very inconspicuous, short, pale pubescence ; jowls pale 

 yellow, with whitish pubescence, which extends up the back 

 of the head and becomes conspicuously white and coarse at the 

 widening about the middle of the occiput, caused by the incurved 

 margin of the eve: above this, and on the top of the occiput, the 

 pubescence is pale yellow to tawny. Vertex rather shining black 

 with black hairs on the front part, which are curved forward, and 

 with tawny hairs on the hind part, Frons rather produced, 

 entirely yellow, with inconspicuous yellow pubescence. Eyes touch- 

 ing for about eight or nine facets. Antennae orange-yellow, 

 usually darkened above the third joint, and occasionally with the 

 apex and the upper part dark brown or blackish ; on the dorsal 

 surface of the two basal joints there are some minute black 

 bristles ; arista brown, quite bare, gradually tapering, and not 

 quite as long as the three joints of the antennae together. 



Thorax moderately shining or even dull, with traces of two 

 broad faint grey lines close together on the front half of the disc; 

 the side margins are all yellow from the humeri to the scutellum, 

 but more broadly and clearly yellow on the front half ; pubescence 

 brownish-yellow and sometimes pale yellow, paler and longer on 

 the sides and on the pleurae; scutellum dull-yellow with rather 

 long pale yellow pubescence and in some specimens, a few black 

 hairs near the apex. 



Abdomen dull black or brownish-black, rather shining near 



