362 EMPIDiE. 



Subfamily OCYDIIOMIINjE. 



Head: eyes in male contiguous, in female contiguous or not, 

 rarely narrowly separated in both sexes. Proboscis generally 

 shorter than head, if long, projecting directly or obliquely for- 

 wards ; palpi one-jointed. Antennae 3-jointed, with terminal 

 arista or 2-iointed style, which latter may be aristiform. 

 Thorax more or less humped; metapleura bare or with short 

 hairs. Wings with axillary lobe well developed (except in 

 Lepiopeza) ; 3rd longitudinal vein simple ; 4th simple or forked. 

 Discal cell present ; three or four posterior cells ; basal cells sub- 

 equal, anal cell not longer than 2nd basal. Lower branch of 5th 

 longitudinal vein meeting anal vein parallel with, perpendicular 

 to, or at an angle of 45° to hind margin of wing, making anal cell 

 truncate at tip or the anterior margin of it the longer ; anal vein 

 of varying length ; squamae very small or absent. 



This subfamily comprises smaller and more delicate species, 

 often of pale colour, of which the short proboscis is a principal 

 feature. 



Genus LEPTOPEZA, Mace/. 

 Lemtopeza, Macquart, Soc. Sci. Lille, p. 143 (1827) {emend?). 

 Genotype, Ocydromia jlavipes t Mg. (Europe). 



Head almost as broad as thorax ; eyes occupying whole front 

 of head, contiguous in both sexes, rarely otherwise ; * facets of 

 uniform size. Antennae 3-jointed ; first two short, bristly ; 3rd, 

 though narrowed slightly at base, conical, bearing a long rather 

 thickened bare arista joined to tip of 3rd by a minute joint. 

 Epistome very narrow, the eyes reaching the mouth-opening ; 

 proboscis very short. Thorax rectangular, strongly arched, with 

 minute discal bristles ; on the margin generally a notopleural, 

 postalar, and sometimes a supra-alar bristle, with other small 

 bristles or bristly hairs ; scutellum with two or more marginal 

 bristles or stiff hairs ; metapleura with short fine hairs. Abdomen 

 slender, 8th segment small or hidden. Genitalia in male with 

 asymmetrical parts ; in female forming a long, compressed, sword- 

 shaped ovipositor. Leys rather long and slender, hind pair 

 longest ; hind tibiae sometimes slightly thickened towards apex ; 

 soft pubescence and various bristles on the legs. Wings with 

 auxiliary vein abbreviated, not reaching margin ; 3rd vein simple ; 

 anterior fork of upper branch of 4th vein indistinct or absent; 

 lower branch of £th vein strongly recurrent, parallel with hind 

 margin of wing ; anal vein shortened. 



Range. Europe, India, ]N T orth Africa, Cape Horn, North 

 America, Australia. 



Life-history unknown. 



* A narrow Irons abore in at least one European species (sphenoptera), yet 

 the eyes contiguous below antennae. 



