324 EMPID;E. 



Tlie EMPIDJE may be distinguished from the ASILID^E by the 

 difference in venation, non-excavation of the vertex, smaller 

 head, and absence of long hair on the lower part of the head. 

 From the DOLICHOPODID^E, to which certain genera bear some 

 resemblance, they may be known by the venation. A few genera 

 with reduced venation may have a superficial resemblance to some 

 ACALYPTRATA , but the family characters described above will 

 separate them. The subfamilies are not so easily distinguished 

 as in some other families, and, as a rule, more than one character 

 has to be taken into consideration in separating them. 



Tabh of Subfamilies. 



1. Anal cell absent, or, if present, anal 



vein incomplete and middle femora, 

 usually incrassate ; anterior cross- 

 vein nearly always beyond middle of 



discal cell 



Anal cell present, rarely absent, in which 

 case fore coxae much elongated, about 

 as long as the incrassate fore femora ; 

 anterior cross-vein always much 

 before middle of discal cell (except 

 in Hemerodroinia spp.) 2. 



2. Axillary lobe of wing greatly reduced or 



absent ; wing cuneiform at base ; fore 

 coxae much elongated, about as long 

 as fore femora, always longer than 



posterior coxas 



Axillary lobe of wing generally nor- 

 mally developed or conspicuous ; 

 wing not cuneiform ; fore coxre 

 always shorter than fore femora .... 



3. Anal cell always distinctly longer than 



2nd basal cell : lower branch of oth 

 vein bent down to meet anal vein 

 always at an obvious obtuse angle, 

 and approximately perpendicular to 

 hind margin of wing ; posterior 

 margin of anal cell always the longer, 

 its apical end never truncate ; pro- 

 boscis shorter than height of head ; if 

 longer, directed straight or obliquely 

 forwards and also antennas and style 

 very short ; 3rd vein always simple ; 

 thorax generally conspicuously hum- 



Anal cell shorter than, or at most 

 approximately subequal to 2nd. basal 

 cell ; lower branch of 5th vein bent 

 down to meet anal vein at an acute 

 angle, a right angle or at most only 

 slightly obtuse angle ; approximately 

 either perpendicular to, parallel with, 



TACHYDROMIIISVE, p. 373. 



HEMKRODROMIINJE, p. 363, 



HYBOTINJE, p. 325, 



