DIPTEROUS FAMILY PANXOPHTHALMIDiE. 569 



Pantoplithalmus liellerianus, Ended. (Text-fig. 3.) 



Acanthomera helleriana Enderlein, Zool. Anz., Bd. xliv. no. 13, 

 p. 581 (July 28, 1914). 



Since the original description of this species, which is at 

 present only known in the male sex, in some respects requires 

 amplification, P. hellerianus Enderl. is redescribed below. In the 

 case of the specimen in the National Collection, at any rate, 

 the brown or greyish-brown, W-shaped mark on the dorsum of 

 the thorax, on which Enderlein lays stress, is only visible when 

 the insect is viewed at a fairly low angle from behind, and even 

 then it is not very distinct. 



(S . — Length (one specimen) 29*5 mm. ; width of head 8*4 mm. ; 

 greatest width of abdomen (across third tergite) 12*2 mm. ; length 

 of wing 23-2 mm. 



Dorsal surface of both thorax and abdomen, at least in 6 , 

 " washed " ^vith silver, lohich on thorax is duller, but on abdomen 

 has a more pronounced silken sheen; facial "beak'' very small 

 and inconsjnciious ; dorsum of thorax (scutum), ivhen viewed from 

 certain angles, loith 7nore or less distinct traces of longitudinal 

 stripes ; dorsuin of abdomen unicolorous, tvithout definite lateral 

 spots, broad, flat, and somewhat ovate pyriform in outline when 

 viewed from above, ivith sharp edges to third and folloiving tergites ; 

 wings pale, ivitJi (excejyt when vieived against a dark background) 

 faint, ill-defined markings; hind legs with a small subfemoral 

 spine. 



Head in S distinctly flattened in antero -posterior direction ; 

 upper portion of face, except immediately adjacent to bases of 

 antennae, isabella-coloured ; remainder of face, including base of 

 beak, as also jowls and basioccipital region, dark mummy-brown 

 or blackish-brown, tip]^of beak, which scarcely protrudes beyond 

 enveloping hood formed by base, chestnut-brown, shining ; 

 occiput cream-buff pollinose ; jowls clothed with brownish or 

 dark brown hair, with an ochraceous-tawny gleam at base, basi- 

 occipital region clothed with ochraceous-tawny hair ; first and 

 second segments of palpi greyish cinnau) on-brown, clothed with 

 dark brown hair, terminal segment tawny or cinnamon-rufous, 

 curved, slender, and tapering ; first segment of antenna mummy- 

 brown, second segment tawny, fringed below Avith minute, ochra- 

 ceous-bufi' hairs (third segment missing in specimen described). 

 Thorax : dorsum of main portion (scutum), when viewed at an angle 

 from behind, exhibiting a pair of admeclian, dai'ker (shimmering 

 greyish-olive), longitudinal stripes, commencing on fore border, 

 converging and diminishing soinewhat in width as they proceed 

 backwards, and becoming narrower and indistinct after passing 

 transverse suture ; posterior portion of scutum with a similar, 

 median, longitudinal stripe, commencing in prescutellar gi-oove 

 and tapering ofi" and disappearing about halfway between latter 

 and transverse suture ; dorsum of scutum clothed with fine 

 yellowish hair; scutellum, which, except on anterior angles, is 



