)70 Professor E. B. Poulton ooi 



II. LaphrintE. 



The number of records in this sub-family is small, so 

 small indeed that we can only reach provisional conclu- 

 sions as to the preferences of the species. Mimicry of 

 the Hymenoptera Aculeata is here more conspicuous than 

 elsewhere among these predaceous flies. Lamyra (Nos. 91, 

 92) and Proagonistcs (No. 93) are beautiful mimics of dark- 

 winged Aculeates, and two out of the three recorded indi- 

 viduals were preying upon Aculeates, although not upon 

 their models. It is probable that these species present us 

 with a case similar to Dasypogon diadema, where there is a 

 general attack upon the Aculeata accompanied by mimicry 

 of a type of colouring common and specially conspicuous, 

 but by no means universal among the victims. The bee- 

 like Laphria, sp. ? gilva (No. 89), was captured with a fly, 

 Laphria gibhosa (Nos. 86, 87), a mimic of the heavy 

 Bomhus type of Aculeates, was twice, and the bee-like 

 Hoplistomcriis serripes (No. 79) once, recorded with a 

 beetle. These species may probably be grouped with the 

 common Asilus crabroniformis, mimetic of a specially 

 abundant and conspicuous Aculeate type, but showing no 

 preference for an Aculeate diet. Laphria flava (No. 88), 

 — also Bomhus-WkQ — recorded with an ant, may perhaps 

 belong to the same category as Lamyra and Proagonistcs. 

 The species of Laxcncccra (Nos. 80-83) — all mimetic of 

 Aculeates (bees) and all preying upon Aculeates although 

 usually not upon their models — appear undoubtedly to be- 

 long to this latter category. Hypcrcchia (Nos. 8-i, 85), 

 long suggested as a specialized foe of the Aculeate genus 

 Xylocopa (Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond. 1904, p. 662, and Proc. 

 1904, p. Ixxxvi), has now for the first time been proved to 

 prey upon its model. It offers a case precisely parallel to 

 that of Damalina. 



Not only are the Laphrinsn here recorded more generally 

 mimetic than the species of either of the other sub-families 

 but their resemblances are curiously restricted to the group 

 of bees (Anthophila), although Lamyra and Proagonistcs 

 offer magnificent exceptions. 



III. ASILIN^.. 



Craspedia (No. 94), now shown for the first time to attack 

 the XylocopidiG, is probably a specialized foe of these bees, 



