South African and Oriental Asilliia?. 89 



other specimens are from S. Africa, Natal, and ZuIuImikI ; 

 males from Durban and Cape Colony in Sontli African Coll. 



L('n<j;tli of type 215 mm. (other fomales attain to 33 mm.) ; 

 males 30 mm. 



An easily distiniinished species, having wholly black legs, 

 the tibia3 only ])aler at the base. Moustacho blade and 

 yellow. 



Trupanea longfpts, Macq., from an unknown locality, is 

 very likely the same as this species; though placed under 

 J'roniachiis in Kortesz's (Jut., there is no doubt, from the liguro 

 of the wing- given by Macquart, of its generic place. 



A/cimus loitijur'wj Loew, is no doubt the same as Walker's 

 species. 



This specie!?, mentioned under the name of Alchnus per- 

 lonpns, is stated to be '" the most active and voracious enemy 

 of the butterfly." In a paper published by C. N. Barker, 

 F.E.S., " Some Jlecords of Fredaceous Insects and their Prey 

 in the Durban Museum," in the 'Annals of the Durban 

 Museum,' ii. pt. 2, p. 94 (1918), Mr. Barker says that, so 

 far, he has come across no other species of this group which 

 preys on butterflies. 



Alcimus tristrigafus, ^ , Loew. 



Dipt. Faun. Sud-Afrik. i. p. 1;J4, pi. i. fig. r,l (1860); Ricardo, Ann.& 

 Ma<r. Nat. Hist. (7) vi. p. 175 (1900j ; Speiaer, Schwed. Zool. Exped. 

 Ost-Afrik. p. 99 (1910). 



Specimens from Voi and Makindu, Brit. E. Africa; from 

 Pretoria (Distant Coll. and //. K. Munro) ; a male from 

 (SinithfieM, Orange River {Kannemayern), in South Afiican 

 Museum Coll. Speiser has recorded it from Kilimandjaro. 



This species is distinguished from Alcimus ruhujinosuay 

 Gerst., by its usually slightly smaller size, and the tliora.\ is, 

 as a rule, greenish brown, with darker stripes. Tlie bristles 

 on the sides of the abdomen are white, and those on tlie 

 posterior part of the thorax, described by Loew as black, 

 often appear to be white. Legs brownish or blackish, the 

 underside of all femora and apices of tibiio reddish ; bristles 

 white. 



Length 30-32 mm. (males), 32 mm. (females). Loew 

 gives 34 mm. 



The females from Brit. E. Africa have the ovipositor quite 

 reddish, not blackish brown. 



