NEW SYRPHID^ (DIPTERA) FROM MISSISSIPPI. 



By Frank M. Hull 



Agricultural College, Miss. 



Mississippi is in a region that is as yet almost wholly unex- 

 amined in regard to its dipterous fauna. The discovery of two 

 very interesting new species of Syrphidse from the trifling 

 number that have thus far been collected in the state argues a 

 rich return from collecting in the future. The writer wishes to 

 express his appreciation to Mr. C. H. Curran, who has kindly 

 verified his determinations, particularly of the Microdon. 



Microdon (Omegasyrphus) painteri, new species. 



Male: Face and front dark shining metallic bronze, of medium 

 width and nearly parallel. Oral margin and cheeks shining black. 

 Cheeks and posterior orbits white pilose. Pile of face and lower half 

 of front white, on upper half of front and vertex brownish yellow. 

 Marking the anterior third of front is a shallow grooved depression 

 somewhat in the shape of a "Y" the upper arms of which are wide 

 apart and reach to the eyes. Face projecting for about half of its width, 

 beginning just below the eyes. Eyes bare. First joint of antennse 

 reddish, darker at tip; second and third joints black. Third joint 

 distinctly shorter than first and second combined, pointed at tip and 

 approximately twice as long as broad. First and third joints about 

 equal in length; second joint short. Arista scarcely as long as last 

 joint, reddish orange, brownish and considerably thickened at base. 



Dorsum of thorax feebly shining bluish black; with five shining, 

 purplish bronze stripes of which the middle one is very narrow and 

 the lateral ones quite wide; these stripes merge into a similarly colored 

 area both on the anterior end of the dorsum and just before the scu- 

 tellum. Scutellum shining metallic; spines small and separated by 

 a distance slightly greater than their length. Pleurae and humeri 

 strongly purplish bronze. Pile of dorsum short and of a yellowish cast, 

 that of pleurae longer and white. Squamae pale yellowish. 



Abdomen: First segment dull brownish black, but little shining. 

 Second widened and considerably depressed so that the lateral mar- 

 gins have a much thickened and rounded appearance on the edges; 

 a large indistinct triangle of dark golden brown which in some lights 

 has a greenish reflection, its apex reaching the posterior margin, has its 

 base along the anterior margin. The remainder of this segment and the 

 rest of the abdomen light, slightly brownish red becoming a little 

 darker on the fourth segment. Whole abdomen faintly shining; pile 



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