HYPEBALONIA. 187 



140. Hyperalonia sphinx, F. 



Bibio sphinx, Fabricius, Mant. Ins. ii, p. 329 (1787). 

 Anthrax sphinx, Fabricius, Syst. Antl. p. 126 ; Wiedemann, Auss. 

 Zweifl. i, p. 258 (1828) ; Maoquart, Dipt. Exot. ii, 1, p. 37(1840). 

 Hyperalonia sphinx, Brunetti, Bee. Ind. Mus. ii, p. 440 (1909). 



2 . Bead with frons not greatly wider above antennas, where 

 it forms one-third of the width of the head, than at vertex ; dark 

 reddish brown; face of similar colour, both closely covered with 

 short elongate bright yellow scale-like hairs, some broader con- 

 colorous definite scales near eye-margins below antennas, and some 

 concolorous soft hairs around mouth-opening, which latter is pale 

 yellowish white ; frons with black bristles from vertex nearly to 

 antennas ; proboscis dark brown ; palpi elongate, filiform, pale 

 yellow, with a few concolorous hairs ; antennal 1st and 2nd 

 joints yellow, 1st with rather long yellow hairs, 2nd with a row 

 of small black spines above at tip; 3rd joint black; occiput 

 blackish, with small depressed yellow hairs. Thorax and scutellum 

 dark reddish brown ; dorsum of both, with the humeral calli, 

 wholly covered with close bright yellow scale-like hairs : anterior 

 margin, mesopleurse, sternopleurae, and metapleurse covered with 

 dense yellow elongate scales : a bunch of similar scales just below 

 posterior calli ; some isolated long black hairs on anterior part of 

 dorsum and about hind margin ; three or four powerful black 

 spines in front of wing-base, and four exceptionally strong ones 

 on each posterior callus, directed backwards. Abdomen dull dark 

 reddish brown, covered with short black bristly hairs and short 

 yellow scale-like hairs, and with rather thick longer concolorous 

 hair at sides; a bunch of concolorous elongate scales at sides of 

 1st segment; venter lighter reddish brown, with a moderate 

 amount of rather long yellow hairs placed mostly towards hind 

 margin of segments. Legs rather bright ferruginous ; femora and 

 tibiae with closely applied small elongate pale yellow scales, some- 

 times not readily discernible on middle femora, and apparently 

 absent from apical part of fore femora ; middle femora rather 

 broadened and flattened vertically, with several distinct short 

 black spines near tip on front side ; front femora with soft yellow 

 hairs, both front and middle femora with a few small black 

 bristles; hind pair with rows of black bristles of moderate size 

 below ; tarsi black, with normal pubescence. Wings uniformly 

 smoke-grey, sometimes with a slight yellowish-brown tinge and 

 a similar fringe at base ; 2nd posterior cell twice as wide at base 

 as at tip ; aluke with a fringe of elongate smoke-grey scales ; alar 

 squamae with a similar fringe of yellowish scales ; halteres small, 

 bright tawny yellow. 



Length, 9-12 mm. 



Eedescribed chiefly from a perfect 2 in the Indian Museum 

 from Puri, Orissa, 16-20. viii. 1911, and an example from Bulsar, 

 Bombay, 20. vi. 1904 ; near Bombay City, 21. hi. 1905, on sea- 

 weed ; Chapra, Bengal ; Chandipore, Orissa Coast, 3-7. vi. 1915 



