90 



EMPID.E. 



Body generally large. 

 Body small. Species 7-19. 



female of the larger species is always preying on some little 

 insect during the pairing. The species may be thus grouped : 



a. Hind femora slender. 

 b. Body black or grey. 



c. Legs not fringed nor clavate. 



Species 1-6. 



c c. Legs fringed or clavate. 

 b b. Body pale. Species 20-24. 

 a a. Hind femora thick. Species 25. 



1. tessellata, Fb. e. s. iv. 405. 10 (1792); Fin.; LI.; Mg. ; 

 Mq. ; Ztt.; Ct. livida, Fb. Cinerea, antennis nigris, thorace nigro- 

 trivittato, alis cinereis basi et ad costam ferrugineis, abdomine tessellato, 

 pedibus ferrugiueis. Long. 4^-5 ; alar. 11-12 liu. 



Grey, thickly clothed with black hairs and bristles. Proboscis black ; 

 lancets ferruginous. Antennae black ; first and second joints clothed 

 with long black hairs ; third long-conical, much longer than the first 

 and the second ; fifth about half the length of the third. Thorax 

 with 3 linear black stripes. Wings dark grey, ferruginous at the base 

 and along the fore border ; veins black, ferruginous towards the base. 

 Halteres bright ferruginous. Abdomen cinereous, tessellated. Legs 

 ferruginous, clothed with long hairs and bristles ; tibiae beset with long 

 stout bristles ; tips of the tarsi black. 



Generally distributed ; appears in the spring. (E. S. I.) 



2. borealis, L. fn. 1895 (1761); Dg. ; Shr. ; Fb. ; Fin.; Mg. ; 

 Ztt. ; Mq. ; Ct. ! b. e. 18. Mgra, thorace cinereo nigro-quadrivittato, 

 alis latis ferrugineo-fuscis, pedibus ferrugineis, feinoribus tibiisque 

 posterioribus apice tarsis posterioribus pedibusque anticis rufo-fuscis. 

 Long. 3-3 - ; alar. 7-^-9 lin. 



Black, hairy. Lancets ferruginous ; palpi beset with a few black 

 bristles. First and second joints of the antennae beset with black 

 hairs ; third lanceolate, much more than twice the length of the first 

 and the second ; fifth very short. Thofax grey, with 4 black stripes. 

 Wings ferruginous-brown ; stigma dark brown ; veins brown, tawny 

 towards the base. Halteres tawny. Legs ferruginous, clothed with 

 black hairs ; coxae grey ; fore legs, except the base of the femora, 

 posterior tarsi, and tips of posterior femora and tibiae reddish-brown. 

 Male. Wings broad. Legs darker than those of the female. Fern. 

 Wings very broad, but varying in breadth. 



Bare ; appears in the spring ; has been found in Lancashire 

 andWicklow. (E.I.) 



3. livida, Lin. s. n. ii. 1003. 3 (1763); Dg. ; Shr.; LI. ; Fin.; 

 Mg. ; Mq. ; Ztt. ; Ct. lineata, Fb. Cinerea, antennis nigris, thorace 

 nigro-trivittato, halteribus pedibusque fulvis, tarsis nigris ; Mas. alis 



