FAM. EMPIDIDZE 39 
Epiceia, Walker, Proc. Linn. Soc. Lond. Vol. 4, p. 149 (1860); Bezzi, Ann. Mus. Hungar, Vol. 2, 
p. 329 (1904), Vol. 1o, p. 457 (1912). 
Harpamerus, Bigot, Rev. Mag. Zool. Vol. 11, p. 306 (1859); Bezzi, Ann. Mus. Hungar, Vol. 2, 
p. 329. 334 note (1904), Vol. ro, p. 457 (1912); Brunetti, Fauna Brit. Ind. Dipt. Vol. 1, p. 334 
(1920). 
Characters. — Greatly hunchbacked, usually opaque dark species, yellow, measuring three to 
eight millimeters, sometimes wings clear or maculate, the stigma usually prominent, hind femora more or 
less spinose, the notum not pilose. Head hemispherical, occiput flattened, eyes meeting from the antenne 
to the highly perched ocellar tubercle, the upper facets very large, the front part of the eyes somewhat 
flattened, antennal excision shallow; face narrow, retreating, no cheeks; antenne two-jointed, the basal 
joints completely fused, the outer joint oval, with apical or subapical thread-like arista; proboscis styli- 
form, porrect, about as long as the head, palpi usually linear but short and hairy. Thorax very highly 
arched, notopleural suture short, pubescence sparse and short, notum more or less covered with close 
short tomentum so as to take away any shine, the color accordingly variable depending on the angle of 
view, bristles reduced to two notopleural, one dorsocentral and one postalar, but the scetellum margined 
with many hair-like bristles; mesopleurze sometimes shining, as may be the mesonotum also in some 
species. Abdomen tapering in both sexes, the pygidium very small and bilateral, last two segments of 
the female forming a sort of short ovipositor. Legs variable, hind coxa not greatly enlarged, anterior 
tibize sometimes bearing long bristles but usually bristleless, hind femora somewhat enlarged, longer than 
their tibie, usually spinose beneath, always with at least several stiff flexor bristles, hind tibiae hairy, not 
curved nor with flattened sides, sometimes more or less swollen at the apex, tarsi not incrassate, usually 
lengthened but in some species the hind tarsi may be short and stout. "Wings rather large, anal angle 
strongly rectangular, costa continuing to the fourth vein, no basal bristle, costal hairs inconspicuous, 
pedicel of the second and third veins long, arising toward the base of the second basal cell, third vein 
unforked, third and fourth veins parallel or converging, discal cell emitting two simple posterior veins. 
Type species : S. simplex, Walker' s original species (Pl.1, Fig. 4). This insect was previously 
described by Walker as Goma $Athia, according to Dr. Williston, who examined Walker's type. The 
enigmatical crossveins in the description of ?4/Aia refer to the two stigmal markings. 
Coquillett, in the paper on the Type Species of American Diptera, page 503, would make Syne- 
ches a synonym of Acromyia Latreille. His argument that Latreille mentions the receipt from Bonelli of 
a specimen named Acromyia asiliformis illustrates the fallacy of overthrowing accepted names on scanty 
information.  Sfomoxys asiliformis Fabricius is synonymous with Asilus muscarius Fabricius within the 
present genus Syneches, but Bonelli' s reference to asiliformis is regarded as an erroneous identification 
for Hybos grossipes. Thus Acromyia is synonymous with Hybos and is not to be linked with Syneches. 
The species of Syneches do. not occur in the western part of North America but are not rare east 
ofthe Rocky Mountains. They have been found in all the other continents except Australia. These 
insects frequent meadowlands during the summer months and may be discovered in grass sweepings. 
They are often quite variable in color within the species. Three artificial subgenera are recognized, 
which are based on the following characters. 
Syneches, sens. str. Hind femora not tuberculate nor greatly enlarged, but bearing several to many 
bristles or spines beneath; third and fourth veins parallel, the first posterior cell not narrowed; body 
color usually dark and opaque, wings sometimes maculate. 
Type species : S. »h/hia, Walker. 
Epiceia, Walker. Hind femora not greatly enlarged nor tuberculate, but bearing numerous spine- 
like bristles beneath, anterior tibi sometimes bristly; third and fourth veins converging, the first poste- 
