434 TIPTTLID^E. 



grey, dull. Abdomen brilliant, shining violet-blue, with traces of 

 pale yellow, very short hairs on the posterior margins o the 

 segments, and more distinct, similar hairs at the sides of the 

 abdomen. Belly similar. Genitalia moderately large, consisting 

 of a basal pair of cylindro-ovate large fleshy claspers, with a second 

 joint consisting of a long narrow horny slightly curved appendage. 

 Legs yellowish ; a subapical broad dark brown ring on the femora 

 and tibia?, both bands darker and broader on the hind pair of legs ; 

 tarsi black except the yellowish basal half to all the metatarsi. 

 Wings : venation in accordance with the generic characters ; 

 nearly clear, with four cross-bands, moderately blackish, all 

 beginning on the costa; the first two narrow, beginning respectively 

 over the " kink " in the 1st longitudinal vein (in front of the origin 

 of the 4th vein), and the origin of the 2nd vein, both continuing 

 posteriorly as far as the 7th vein, where they meet, the 7th vein 

 being clouded anteriorly ; the third band is the widest and begins 

 on the costa widely on each side of the marginal cross-vein, 

 continuing posteriorly, embracing the cross-veins and the whole 

 of the discal cell, to the posterior margin of the wing, where it 

 becomes fainter ; the fourth band is apical, fairly wide, its proximal 

 edge a straight line, cutting the 1st posterior cell at two-thirds its 

 length from the base. Halteres with narrow black stem, the 

 clubs with conspicuous chalk-white tips. 



Length 2|-2| millim. 



Described from three males taken at Knndy, 22. v. 10 (type), 

 and Peradeniya, 15. vii. 10 (Green <$f Gravely). 



Type in the Indian Museum. 



A' very distinct and conspicuous species belonging to a peculiarly 

 distinctive genus.* 



Genus AT AREA, Os. Sac. 

 Atarba, Osten Sacken, Monog. Dipt. N. Am. iv, p. 127 , pi. i, fig. 13 



(1869). 

 Leiponeura, Skuse, Proc. Lian. Soc. N. S. Wales (2) iv, p. 795 



(1890). 



GENOTYPE, Atarba picticornis, Os. Sac., the original species. 



Head: eyes glabrous, front rather narrow, proboscis but little 

 projecting; palpi rather long, especially the last joint. Antennas 

 16-jointed, rather long, reaching beyond the base of the abdomen, 

 if bent backwards ; 1st scapal joint short, not much longer than 

 the 2nd ; joints of the flagellum elongated, cylindrical, gradually 

 decreasing in length, clothed with a fine pubescence ; a single 

 somewhat longer hair is perceptible on each segment, above the 

 pubescence ; the antennse of the female are but little shorter than 

 those oE the male. Tliorax : neck short, the head rather closeiv 



* This description was written some time before I had read the description of 

 Teucholaf)isci/aitea,T.A\\., with which 1113' species is perhaps synonymous, though 

 this is not certain. In any case the genus Gymuastes appears to be a sound one, 

 being based on the absence of a neck and on the conspicuously clubbed femora. 



