16 Miss G. Eici.rdo on the 



III. — Xotes on the Tahanidae of the Australian Region. 

 By Gertrude Ricardo. 



AcANTHOCERA, Macquart. 



Hi?t. Nat. Dipt. i. p. 209 (1834) ; Loew, Dipt. Sudafrik. p. 31 (18fiO); 

 Schiner, Reise Novara, p. 95 (1866) ; Ricardo, Ann. & Mag. Nat. 

 Hist. (7) xiv. p. 362 (1904). 



Acanthocera australis, ? , sp. n. 



Type (female) and another female from Kiiranda, N. 

 Queensland, in German Eut. Museum. 



This species bears a strong general resemblance to 

 Acanthocera lungicornis, F., especially in the markings of 

 the wings, and, no doubt, belongs to this genus, though, un- 

 fortunately, the third joint of the antenna is destroyed in 

 both specimens. As all the known species of the genus, 

 about seven in number, come from South America, this is 

 the first record of the genus in Australia. 



A reddish-brown species with two grey or white-haired 

 stripes on abdomen at base. Antennae and legs yellowish. 

 Wings dark brown, with the posterior border from apex to 

 anal cell and a few spots clear. 



Length 14 mm. 



Face shining reddish brown, in the centre raised as a 

 large tubercle; cheeks black with bluish-grey tomentum. 

 Beard composed of sparse brown hairs. Proboscis short, 

 stout. Palpi nearly as long, black, stout at base, ending in 

 a fine point, with black pubescence. Antenn(B reddish 

 yellow, the first joint two and a half times as long as the 

 second joint, both with a few short black hairs, situated on 

 a reddish tubercle forming the subcallus. Forehead parallel, 

 about five times as long as it is broad, blackish, with grfy 

 tomentum ; the frontal callus shining black, tuberculous, 

 pear-shaped, reaching the eyes, and ending in a short point. 

 Eyes (when moistened) show two bright green stripes 

 forming a loop on the middle of the eye, not quite reaching 

 the border, the first one starting from the base of the sul)- 

 callus and the second one just beyond it ; they are about 

 ^ mm. in width each. 



Thorax mahogany-red with two narrow grey tomentose 

 stripes. (Scw/e//wm same colour. ^Af/omen long and narrow, 

 the same colour on the two basal segments, the remaining 

 segments becoming darker, the posterior borders of the first 

 two segments bordered with white hairs on a grey tomentose 



