the Asilitiae of Australasia. 437 



Legs black, the base of all femora and tibiie rusty yclIon\ 

 Frtce with white tomentuni; the moustache black, with some 

 white hairs below. Winr/s hyaline, but broadly and distinctly 

 tinged with grey round the whole border. 5 lines. 

 Schiuer records four pair from Sydney. 



Neoaratus, Ricardo. 



Arntus, v. d. Wulp, Terinds. Fiizetek, xxi. p. 236 (1898) (prreocc. 

 Howard, Hym. 1896). 



This genus was formrd for Asilus hcrcules, Wied., by 

 V. d. AVulp, who satisfied himself as to the probability of 

 the correctness of the three synonyms (see below) ; he also 

 suggested that Rliadhirgus macquurti, 13igot, and Asilus 

 tasman'ue, Macq., might belong to this genus, which he 

 characterized as follows : — 



Face moderately broad, with prominent tubercle, which, 

 with the thick moustache, takes up two-thirds of the face. 

 Antennce small in proportion, the two basal joints same 

 length ; the third rather shorter than the two together, 

 pointed at end, with a naked arista. Thorax short-haired, 

 only posteriorly with some long hairs, but without bristles. 

 Abdomen fiae-haired, slender, no bristles at sides; eighth 

 segment hidden (correct only of cJ) ; genital organs small; 

 ovipositor egg-shaped, with two small lamellas at end. Leys 

 stout, femora not incrassate. Wings shorter than body, in 

 the male dilated on the fore border; the submarginal cell 

 rilled in both sexes ; the discal cell long and narrow, the 

 upper vein from it very much bent outwards, so that the 

 second very broad posterior cell bulges very considerably 

 into the first one ; the fourth is closed, also the anal cell. 



This last character is common to the large species of 

 Asilus, such as rufiverdris, rujithorax, pelago, liyagnis, and 

 the submarginal cell is frequently rilled in them, and even 

 the fore border of wing very slightly dilated, so that it 

 appears as if the very great dilatation of wing on fore border 

 in Neoaralus hercules is the only character that divides it 

 oflf from Asilus in sensu stricto, and it remains the only 

 species in the genus. Rhndiurgus macquarii is a male from 

 New Caledonia ; Bigot makes no mention in his description 

 of the wing being dilated ; without seeing his type it is 

 impossible to decide whether he placed it in the right 

 genus. 



Neoaratus hercules, Wied., Auss. zweifl. Ins. i. p. 42o \^Asilus] (1830). 

 Type of geuus. — Asilus pUcatus, Wied., /. c. ii. p, 643 (1830) ; 

 Froggatt, Australian Insects, p. 299 (1907). Asilus giganteus, Macq., 

 Dipt. E.\ot. Suppl. ii. p. oO, pi. i. fig. 9 (1847). Asilus grandis, 

 Macq. /. c. JSiippl. iii. p. 190, pi. iii. tig. 4 (1848). 



