118 AUSTRALIAN BHYPHID.-E AND LEPIID.?!: (dIPTERA), 



Grenus Rhyphus, Latreille. 

 Latr. Hist. Nat. Ci^ust. et Ins. xiv. 291., 1804. 



KortesK. Cat. Dipt. Vol. 1., pg. 304, 1902 (which see for 

 synonymy). 



Characters as described under the family ; radial vein 

 curved, eyes in 9 separate, in $ contiguous, bare. Ab- 

 domen cylindrical, elongate tapering. Legs simple, slen- 

 der, spines at most only indicated by strong hairs on the 

 posterior tibise ; anterior tibiae with one;, intermediate and 

 posterior tibiee with two apical spurs. 



Rhyplniii dubius, Macq. 

 (JItrysopilus dubius, Ma^cq., Dipt. Exot. suppl. 4, pg 104, 

 tab. 9, fig. 18, 1850. 



EhypJins brevis, Walk., Ins. Sauncl. Dipt, i., pg. 449, 1856. 



Macquart's so called Chrysopiliis dubius is a Ehypkid. 

 The description from a mutilated specimen and the figure 

 of the wing show conspicuousi evidence that this is the case, 

 since the wing markings and the wide anal cell agree with 

 those of the cominon Rhyphid known as E. brevis. The 

 figure shows the cubital vein forked, but the description 

 would lead one to sujDpose otherwise, as only one sub- 

 marginal cell isi mentioned; indeed, such discrepancies are 

 not unusual in Macquart's work. The type specimen is 

 from East Australia, and Walker's type is Tasmanian ; a 

 compiai'ison of Sydney iind Tasmanian specimens shows 

 them to be identical. 



Easily recognised by its brownish colour, wings much 

 spotted and macrotrichia on the membrane of the wing- 

 as well as on the veins. Dr. Tillyard records these macro- 

 trichia in P.L.S. N.S.W. xliii., pp. 627-641, text figures 

 and plate, 1918. 



Yellowish brown. Eyes bare, black ; ocellar tubercle 

 black ; flagellum of antennae black. Thorax with three 

 broad black stripes, the central stripe reaching neck. Ab- 

 domen more or less stained black. Thorax and scutellum 

 have bristles, or hair-like bristles which are iiot always 

 easy to differentiate. The following, according to their 

 positioin and size, are undoubtedly bristles: — 2 dorse - 

 scutellar, 4 noto plural, 1 supra-alar, 2 interalar; dorso- 

 central and acrostichal bristles indicated by conspicuous 

 bristlesi posteriorly which become more hair-like anterior- 

 ly, and other anterioir hair-like bristles can be traced on 

 the thorax. Wings hyaline, slightly fuscoiis at base, 

 fuscous spots at humeral and median cross veins, and dis- 

 tinctly irregular fuscous bands, (very spot like) from costa; 



