THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 123 



yellowish hairs, and a crown of black ones near the border ; eyes large, prominent, finely reticu- 

 lated and almost black ; antennae, first joint black tipped with brown, cylindrical and hairy ; sec- 

 ond joint black, short, thick and rounded at tip, with a few stiff hairs ; third joint as long as first, 

 tapering each way, smooth, black and terminating in a long, brown bristle ; proboscis black and 

 nearly as long as face ; neck with pale and black hairs. Thorax leaden-black, slightly opalescent 

 with reddish brown at sides, more or less pubescent with pale yellow, especially laterally and pos- 

 teriorly and in three narrow longitudinal dorsal lines which gradually approach towards meta- 

 thorax ; bearded at sides and behind with a few decurved black bristles, those behind 

 interspersed with a few smaller pale hairs; scutel of the same color, with upward-curving, black 

 bristles; halteres brown. Abdomen, $ , general color dull leaden-yellow, with darker transverse 

 bands at insections ; the light color produced by a yellowish pubescence and numerous short close- 

 lying yellow hairs, the dark bands produced by the absence of this covering at the borders of each 

 uegment ; basal segment broad, bilobed, and with lateral black bristles ; segments 6, 7, 8 and anal 

 valves with a decided pink tint, especially 7; 8 but one-third as long as 7 above. $, broader, 

 flatter, more polished and brassy, with no transverse darker bands, segments 7 and 8 polished 

 black, the latter narrow and longer than any of the others ; anus with a few black bristles. Legs, 

 dull purple-brown, with black bristles ; thighs very stout, the hind pair rather darker than the 

 others, the two front pair of trochanters with long, yellowish hairs ; pulvilli, generally 

 fulvous. 



Described from two $ , and two $ , all captured while sucking honey-bees. I have not access 

 to Loew's descriptions, and cannot therefore compare it with already described species ; but speci- 

 mens have been sent to Dr. Wm. LeBaron, of Geneva, Illinois, and to Baron Osten Sacken, of New 

 York, and both these gentlemen are unacquainted with it, and believe it to be new. In the well 

 marked c? specimens, the body bears a general resemblance to that of Trupanea [1'romackus] ver- 

 tebrcta, Say. 



Of course the apiarian will care very little to know which of these 

 two Bee-killers is weakening his swarms. They fhould both be un- 

 mercifully destroyed, and though very strong and rapid flyers, they 

 may be easily caught when they have settled on any little promi- 

 nence with a bee in their grasp; for they are so greedy of the bee's 

 juices that they are at this time less wary, and even when disturbed, 

 will fly but a few yards away before settling again. A net such as 

 that described in the article on "Cabbage worms" will be found use- 

 ful in catching these mischievous flies. 



The habits and preparatory stages of our Asilus flies are not very 

 well known. They are all cannibals in the fly state, sucking out the 

 juices of their victims with the strong proboscis with which they are 

 furnished, and by which they are capable of inflicting a sharp sting 

 on the human hand. The larvae are footless, and live in the ground, 

 and such as are known in this state are strangely enough, vegetable- 

 feeders. 



[Fig. 9i.] The only N. A. species that has heretofore 



been bred to the perfect state, is the Silky 

 Asilus {Asilus sericeus, Say., Fig. 91) belong- 

 ing to the typical genus Asilus. Its larva feeds 

 upon the roots of the Rhubarb, and was bred to 

 the perfect state by Dr. Harris (Inj. Insects, p. 

 G05). 1 have succeeded in breeding to the fly 

 state another species, belonging however to the 

 genus Erax, and subjoin a description of the 

 larva, as it is of considerable scientific interest. 

 The fly is figured below (Fig. 93 a). 



