TACHYDROMIA. 375 



raptorial; fore coxa3 slightly longer than posterior ones; fore 

 femora more or less thickened, with two rows of fine bristles 

 below ; middle femora considerably incrassate, with two rows of 

 short thick spines below ; middle tibia3 often with an apical spine 

 on inner side and a row of black spines below. Other variations 

 occur in the legs in the shape of additional spines or bristles, and 

 in the degree of incrassation of the femora. Two pulvilli ; empo- 

 dium small, linear. Wings with auxiliary vein united to 1st 

 longitudinal till near tip, reaching margin ; 1st, 2nd, and 3rd 

 (which is simple) normal ; 4th simple ; lower branch of 5th almost 

 or quite recurrent, meeting the indistinct and incomplete anal 

 vein at about a right angle. Discal cell absent ; both basal cells 

 long, subequal ; anal cell incomplete through the wanting basal 

 portion of the anal vein ; 1st posterior cell often broadened in 

 middle and distinctly narrowed at tip ; axillary lobe of wing not 

 conspicuous. 



Range. Europe, India, Tibet, China, Papua, North Africa, 

 North America, Chile, Argentina. 



Life-history. Beling has recorded the metamorphoses of a 

 European species T. (Platypalpus) major, Zett.,* which was 

 breeding on the ground under moss in a wood. 



Tacliydromia is a genus with a rather easily recognised facies, 

 due to the thickened femora, long antenna, absence of discal cell 

 in conjunction with the shape of the 1st posterior cell, and incom- 

 plete or absent anal cell. The species occur in woods and fields, 

 running swiftly over low herbage in search of prey ; they are 

 very carnivorous and rapacious, remains of soft Diptera being 

 often retained by their middle legs after death. Many species 

 are conspicuous amongst EMPID.E by their yellow colour. 



Table of Species. 



1. Wings unmarked 2. [p. 375. 



Wings with two broad blackish bands .... latifascipennis, Brun., 



2. Thorax bright ferruginous 3. 



Thorax black or blackish 4. 



3. Antennal basal joints yellow ; thorax witli 



distinct median stripe ; proboscis as long [p. 376. 



as height of head ferruginea, Brim., 



Antenme all black ; thorax without a median 

 stripe, but with two abbreviated lateral 



ones'; proboscis shorter than height of [p. 377. 



head nepalensis, nom. nov., 



4. Proboscis as long as height of head gentilis, Brun., p. 377. 



Proboscis half as long as height of head . . orientalis, Brun., p. 378. 



307. Tachydromia latifascipennis, Brun. 



Tacliydromia latifascipennis, Brunetti, Rec. Ind. Mus. xiii, p. 81 



(1917). 



tf 5 . Head shining black, bare ; eyes separated above by a 

 moderately broad frons of uniform width, contiguous on under- 

 * Verh. zool.-bot. Ores. Wien, xxxviii, p. 2 (1888). 



