PTECTICUS. 79 



Distr., 4000 ft., v-vi. 1916 ; Lebong, Darjiling Distr., 4500 ft., 

 2-9. v. 1909 (Hoivlett) Singla, Darjiling Distr., 1500 ft-., iv. 1913 ; 

 Siliguri, base of Darjiling Hills, 18-20. vii. 1907 ; Sikkim ; Mar- 

 gherita, Assam; Nongpoh, Khasi Hills, Assam, 1000-3000 ft., 

 vi. 1905 ; also from Matang, Trusan, Klinhang, and Kuching 

 (all Borneo). 



This is the commonest Indian species, apparently. 



50. Ptecticus anstralis, Sch. 



Ptecticus austraKs, Schiner, Novara Reis., Dipt. p. 65 (1868) ; 

 Brunetti, Rec. Ind. Mus. i, p. 113 (1907). 



<$ $ . Head : eyes in <S with upper facets very little larger than 

 lower ones, no clear dividing-line, barely contiguous at point of 

 nearest approach, and for a very short distance only ; frons 

 widening gradually to vertex, shining black, with a few brown 

 hairs; ocelli rather close together, ocellar triangle small, only 

 slightly elevated; frontal triangle elongate, whitish yellow, bare 

 (in one specimen a pair of dark oval spots in the middle placed 

 longitudinally side by side) ; face, proboscis, and palpi orange- 

 yellow, labella very large ; antennae orange, arista black ; occiput 

 dark, very concave. In $ , frons comparatively narrow, dull 

 brownish orange or blackish, shining. Thorax, scutellum,. and 

 metanotum wholly orange, with very short coucolorous pubescence. 

 Abdomen orange, normally with a transverse deep blue or violet 

 band just behind anterior margin of first four segments, the bands 

 sometimes not reaching the side-margins ; 5th segment mainly 

 blue-black, except anterior margin ; the bands vary considerably 

 in width, but generally have parallel edges ; in one $ the bauds 

 are replaced by a pair of elongate transverse spots on each 

 segment ; occasionally the last two or three segments are almost 

 wholly violet or blackish ; genitalia in <S prominent, rather large, 

 concolorous ; in 5 very small ; venter brownish yellow. Legs 

 orange-yellow ; hind tibiaa all black ; hind tarsi wholly white ; 

 anterior tarsi with brownish tips. Winys pale yellowish grey ; 

 1st veinlet from discal cell considerably bent downwards 'at 

 or just before middle; 2nd nearly straight; 3rd foreshortened, 

 near and parallel with 2nd ; posterior cross-vein absent, so that 

 upper part of 5th vein is in punctiform contact with lower 

 corner of discal cell ; halteres orange, knobs blackish. 



LengtJt, 10-12 mm. 



Described from several of each sex in the Indian Museum, 

 Pusa and other collections : Kurseong, Darjiling Distr., 5000 ft., 

 4. vii. 1908 (Annandale); Soom, Darjiling Distr., 4000-5000 ft., 

 16. vi. 1914 (Gravel;/) ; Kalimpong, Darjiling Distr., 600-4500 ft., 

 24.iv.-10.v.l915 (Gravely) ; Sukna, N. Bengal, 500 ft., 1. vii. 1908 

 (Annandale) ; Kungpo, Sikkim, 1400 ft., 6. ix. 1909 ; various 

 localities in Bengal, vii., ix. ; Pinjore, Patiala State, 17. vii. 1911 ; 

 Calcutta, 23. vii. 1907 (Annandals) Pollibetta, Coorg, S. India, 



