40 STRATIOMYIDJE. 



membranous organs, and bearing a spine on the underside. In 

 the $ the 6th and 7th segments are narrow, telescopic and with- 

 drawable into the 5th ; genitalia consisting of a triangular bifid 

 piece, with a small filamentous two-jointed appendage on each 

 side. Leys moderately long, slender, simple. Wings with normal 

 venation of subfamily. 



Range. India and the East ; North, South, and Central America ; 

 Africa. 



16. Hermetia laeta, Meij. (PI. I, figs. 20, 21.) 



Hermetia Iceta, de Meijere, Bijd. tot Dierk. xviii, p. 93, pi. viii, 



tig. 8 (1904); Brunetti, Rec. Ind. Mus. i, p. 122 (1907). 

 Hermetia cerioides, Brunetti, /. c. 



<3 ? . Head yellow ; a blackish cross-band above middle ; on each 

 side contiguous to eyes a blackish triangular spot above level of 

 antennae ; vertex more or less blackish ; occiput black ; antennal 

 1st and 2nd joints brownish yellow, 3rd blackish. Tliorax black, 

 slightly shining ; an indistinct whitish median line on anterior 

 part, only reaching to suture ;* humeri, a contiguous triangular 

 spot on each side of anterior margin ; a short contiguous or sub- 

 contiguous side-stripe from humeri, reaching suture and thereat 

 slightly upturned, posterior calli and scutellum, all bright yellow ; 

 latter sometimes narrowly black at base. On sides of thorax a 

 horizontal oval yellow spot between 1st and 2nd pairs of coxa?, 

 and a vertical oval one just in front of it, reaching wing-base. 

 Abdomen with first three segments mainly black, remainder reddish 

 brown ; a pair of large, approximately oval, yellow spots near 

 each other, placed longitudinally on anterior margin of 2nd 

 segment (the spots much smaller in $ ), with a small spot at each 

 side on extremity of hind margin ; 3rd and 4th segments with 

 distinct yellow hind margin ; 5th with an elongate triangular spot 

 at tip, which in $ is narrower and longer, nearly reaching anterior 

 margin ; sides of abdomen yellow down to about end of 3rd 

 segment. Venter with basal three segments mainlv black, 2nd a 

 little pellucid at sides and tip, remainder reddish brown ; hind 

 margins of 3rd and 4th segments narrowly yellow. Leys yellow ; 

 femora blackish brown, narrowly pale at tips, more broadly so on 

 front pair ; tips of tibiae a little darker, tarsi yellowish white. In 

 one specimen the basal half of all the femora is pale. Winys 

 yellowish grey, veins pale brownish yellow ; halteres yellowish. 



Length, 8-12 mm. 



Described from two 3 <5 and eight $ $ in the Indian 

 Museum in bad condition, probably the same set from which 

 de Mejiere compiled the original description, as he records the 

 species as " bred from a betel-nut palm in Backergunge, Bengal ; 

 in Indian Museum, 2 d c? , 3 $ $ ." 



* I do not perceive this. 



