1909.] E. Brunetti : New Leptidce and Bomhylidce. 225 



Bombylius comastes, mihi, sp, nov. 



$ . South India. Long. 3I mm. -f proboscis 2 mm. 



Head. — Frons as broad as thorax, dark olive-brown, with 

 some long erect black hairs ; two large oval raised spots, concolor- 

 ous just below vertex. Ocelli distinct, small, bright red, situated 

 at extreme vertex, at which is a small bunch of long black hairs. 

 Antennae black, first joint with rather long black hair, style of 

 third joint minute. Mouth, proboscis and under side of head black. 

 A small cluster of snow-ivhite scales on the face at each side of the 

 antennse, with a larger cluster of longer ones immediately below 

 the smaller cluster, some few isolated small similar scales scat- 

 tered along the mouth border. One or two small similar scales are 

 placed on each side of the frons, just below the vertex, on the raised 

 spots. Back of head grey, with thick yellowish hair on upper part, 

 and a row of snow-white scales behind the outer orbit of eyes, for 

 a considerable distance. 



Thorax. — Ground colour velvet-black ; dorsum partly denuded 

 but with some small scales remaining of a brilliant emerald-green 

 hue, while in front of the base of the wings are some small snow- 

 white scales. Anterior part of dorsum with yellowish hair, some 

 yellowish hair on sides and snow-white ragged hair on the lower 

 part of the thorax in front. Black bristly hair appears scattered 

 sparsely over the thorax, with a few bristles near the base of the 

 wings. Scutellum dull black (denuded), with traces of green scales 

 similar to those on the thorax. 



Abdoinen.— Ground colour dull black ; traces of variegated 

 scales, emerald-green, pink and white ; some grey hair at sides of 

 2nd segment, with a few snow-white scales, w^hich latter also 

 appear to occur at the sides of the 4th segment. The sides of 

 the abdomen and the whole of the tip bear long black hairs, as 

 does also the belly. 



Legs black, hind femora and posterior tibiae with short spiny 

 bristles. Some yellowish grey long hair around the coxae. 



Wings clear. Costal cell pale yellowish brown on distal half. 

 Wings at base (including the tegulae) similarly coloured, up to the 

 base of the basal cells which are absolutely colourless. The vein- 

 let closing the first posterior cell is in a direct line with that joining 

 the two branches of the fourth longitudinal, the venation otherwise 

 being that of normal Bombylius. Halteres black. 



Described from a shigle 2 (perfect except for some denuda- 

 tion of the thorax, and abdomen) in the Indian :\Iuseum collection, 

 taken by Dr. Annandale at Trivandrum (Travancore State, South 

 India), i3-xi-o8. 



N.B. — In the unusual venation referred to, this species resem- 

 bles the genus Comastes, Os. Sac, but, possessing neither the re- 

 markably long antennal style nor the distinct emargination of the 

 eyes characteristic of that genus, it must remain in Bombylius. 

 The broad head, as wide as the thorax, is also characteristic of 



