PLBCIOMYIA. 161 



moderately long, conical terminal joint. This is not entirely 

 a conclusive character, as at least one other allied Oriental 

 species (Pleda, fulvicollis, I\) has twelve-jointed antennae, instead 

 of ten- or eleven -jointed as in the other allied species belonging 

 to this region. 



At present the genotype is the only known species. 



117. Pleciomyia melanaspis, Wied. (PI. XII, figs. 11, 14.) 



Penthetria melanaspis. Wiedemann, Auss. Zweifl. 



(1828). 



Penthetria japonica, Wiedemann, op. cit. ii, p. 618 (1830). 

 Crapitula motschulskii, Gimnierthal, Bull. Soc. Imp. Nat. Moscou, 



xviii, 2, p. 330, fig. (1845). 

 Plecia ignicollis, Walker, List Dipt. Brit. Mus. i, p. 116 (1848). 



cJ $ . Head wholly black, vertex in male very prominent ; 

 frous in female one-third the width of the head, with a distinct 

 longitudinal ridge in the middle, velvet-black, with a little dark 

 greyish hair behind the vertex ; palpi with a dark greyish tinge in 

 some specimens. Antennae rather larger in the female. Thorax 

 black, velvet-black on about the anterior third of the dorsum, bright 

 reddish orange on the remainder. Scutellum black. Very short 

 black hairs cover the whole upperside of the thorax ; at the sides 

 the hair is a little longer. Abdomen black, with black hairs ; belly 

 similar. Genitalia large, shining black, very hairy, the 2nd joint 

 of the claspers incurved, conical. Legs black, with short black 

 pubescence. Wings rather deeply blackish or blackish brown, 

 generally darker on the basal and anterior parts. Halteres 

 black. 



Length 6-10 millim. 



Eedescribed from a long series in my own collection and in 

 that of the Indian Museum from a number of localities in the 

 Himalayas. I found it common at Darjiling, 21. ix. to 2.x. 08, 

 and also at Hankow, in China, 22-26. iv. 06, but sparingly at 

 Mussoori, 20. v. 05. In the Indian Museum specimens have 

 been examined from Soondrijal and Katmandu (both in Nepal), 

 Shillong, Sibsagar, Margherita, Mungphu ; Naini Tal, iv. and v. 

 1893 ; Theog, 27. iv. 07 ; Kurseong, 9. ix. 09 ; 19. vi. 10; Bhim Tal, 

 19-22. ix. 06; Siliguri, 18-20. vii. 07 (including a male and female 

 in cop.) ; Darjiling, 8. iv. 10 (C. W. Beebe), and Sadou, Upper 

 Burma, 5000 ft., ii. 1 1 (E. Colenso). In the Pusa collection from, 

 amongst other localities, the Khasi Hills, iii. 07. Outside of the 

 Indian Empire, the species occurs also in Siberia, China, and 

 Japan. 



Types in the Leyden and Vienna Museums. 



Even as early as 1828 Wiedemann recognised a generic difference 

 between this species and the species of Plecia, and placed it in 

 Penthetria. I have not seen any other species that can be placed 

 in this new genus. 



L* 



