PHTHIRIA. 83 



Genus V. PHTHIRIA. 



PHTHIRIA, Mg. kl. (1804) ; LI. ; Mq. ; Ct. ; Zll. ; Ztt. Volmella p., 

 Fb. ; Fin. Bombylius p., Ol. ; Mk. 



Corpus parvum, oblongum, pubescens. Color obscurus, cinereus. 



Proboscis longa. Antenna articulo primo brevi. Ala long a. 

 Mas. Oculi connexi. 

 Fcem. Oculi remoti. 



Body short, hairy. Head circular. Ocelli 3, on the crown very 

 minute. Proboscis long, porrect, slender, horizontal. Labrum stout, 

 slightly incurved, acute, channelled beneath, as stout as the labrum and 

 longer. Lingua acute, channelled above, as long as the labrum ; its 

 margin membranous except at the tip. Maxillse slender, a little thicker 

 towards the tips, acute, rather shorter than the labrum. Palpi short, 

 slender, clavate, pubescent. Labium semicylindrical, terminated by 2 

 oval articulated lobes. Antenna 5 -jointed, porrect, closely approximate 

 at the base, diverging upwards, somewhat shorter than the head ; first 

 and second joints short, of equal length, beset with a few bristles ; first 

 cylindrical, almost cyathiform ; second transverse ; third large, fusiform, 

 compressed, truncated, twice the length of the first and the second; 

 fourth and fifth extremely small. Thorax oval, convex; scutellum 

 rather large, transverse, semiovate. Wings long, diverging, rather 

 large, much longer than the abdomen, very finely pubescent. Alulae 

 small, entire. Halteres uncovered. Abdomen with 7 segments. Legs 

 long, slender ; femora short ; hind femora the longest ; tarsi much 

 longer than the tibiae ; ungues and onychia very distinct. 



Male. Head as broad as the thorax, very hairy in front. Eyes con- 

 tiguous. Abdomen obconical, obtuse. 



Fern. Head a little narrower, more depressed. Eyes remote. Ab- 

 domen stout, elliptical, flat. 



These flies much resemble the Bombylii in structure and 

 habit ; they inhabit sandy situations, and feed on the nectar of 

 flowers. 



1. gibbosa, Ol. enc. iv. 329 (HSfy.puUcaria, Mk. ; Mg. ; 

 Ct. ! b. e. 521; Zll.; Ztt. nigra, Mg. kl. pygmcea, Fb. ; LI. cam- 

 pestris, Fin. ; LI. Nigra, capite albido, alis limpidis, halteribus flavis ; 

 Mas. pilis albidis erectis hirta, halteribus nigro-maculatis, abdomine 

 obconico ; Fcem. pilis cinereis incumbentibus hirta, halteribus imma- 

 culatis, abdomine lato ovato. Long. 1-1^ ; alar. 2-^-3^- lin. 



Black, with a cinereous covering. Head whitish, and clothed with 

 white hairs beneath. Proboscis more than half the length of the body. 

 Wings colourless. Halteres yellow. Male. Body clothed with whitish 

 erect hairs. Epistoma very prominent, clothed with black hairs. 

 Halteres with a large black spot on the knob. Abdomen tapering from 

 the base to the tip, narrower and a little longer than the thorax. Fern. 



