64 LEPTIDJE. 



Genus I. LEPTIS. 



LEPTIS, Fb. s. a. (1805); Mg. ; LI.; Fin.; Mq. ; Ztt. ; Lw. ; Gmtl. 

 Musca p., L.; Gm.; Slu. Nemotelusip^Dg. Rhagio p., Fb. ; Shr. ; 

 Mg. kl. ; Pz. ; LI. 



Corpus majoris vel mediae magnitudinis, parum pubescens, elongatum, 

 posterius attenuatum. Color obscurus, ferrugineus, vel cinereus. . 

 Oculi senei aut virescentes, unicolores. Antennas arliculo tertio 

 conico vel rotunda ; quarto longo. Areola analis aperta. Abdomen 

 plerumque flavcscens, subpellucidum, fasciis vel punctis obscuris. 

 Mas. Oculi conjunct!. Anus obtusus. 

 Fcem. Oculi remoti. Anus acuminatus. 



Body rather narrow, tapering, grey, ferruginous or black, of large 

 or of middle size, rarely small. Head semicircular, somewhat depressed 

 in front ; epistoma with 2 deep furrows, which are somewhat curved 

 downward at the base of the antennae. Eyes generally green; all 

 the facets small. Ocelli 3, on the crown. Proboscis and palpi pro- 

 jecting. Labrum lanceolate, stout, rather short, obliquely truncate at 

 the tip. Lingua slender, very flexible, almost membranous, nearly 

 as long as the labrum. Maxillae slender, acute, as long as the labrum. 

 Palpi subfusiform, biarticulate, very large, decumbent, curved, much 

 longer than the maxillae. Labium very thick, shcrt, cylindrical, furrowed 

 above. Antennae 4-jointed, small, porrect, approximate, seated in the 

 middle of the face ; first and second joints bristly ; first short, cylin- 

 drical ; second cyathiform ; third transverse ; fourth setiform, pubescent, 

 much longer than the 3 preceding. Thorax globose, with a scapula on 

 each shoulder, and with a transverse suture, which is interrupted 

 beneath ; most often with 3 or 4 darker stripes. Wings lanceolate, 

 moderately large, finely pubescent, diverging ; anal areolet open. 

 Alulae small, entire. Halteres uncovered. Abdomen long, obconical 

 or tapering, pubescent, with 7 segments. Legs slender, moderately 

 long ; tibiae armed with 2 spurs ; tarsi with 3 onychia. 

 Male. Eyes contiguous above. Abdomen obtuse. 

 Fern. Eyes remote. Abdomen attenuated towards the tip ; 3 apical 

 segments tubuliform, retractile. 



These flies appear in summer, and dwell in meadows, hedges, 

 thickets, and woods, and the larger and most common species 

 may be often seen on the trunks of trees, sitting with tbeir 

 heads downward ; they sometimes feed on smaller insects. Their 

 larvae live in the earth, in sand, in manure, and in decayed 

 wood. The pupa of L. scolopacea is brown, cylindrical, bare, 

 with 1 1 segments, of which the 5 posterior are furnished with 

 a series of little teeth. 





