BY C. P. ALEXANDER. 583 



Dapanoptera richjiondiana Skuse. 



1896. Dapanoptera richmondiana, Skuse, Rec. Aust. Mus., 2, 106-110. 



Queensland: Babinda, October and November 10, 1920 (J. F. Illing-worth ) , 

 in wet caverns along streams, Alexander Coll.; Cairns District (A. M. Lea), 

 Coll. South Australian Museum. 



Hitherto known only from the types taken in New South Wales (Upper 

 Richmond River, in March). 



Paeagymnastes, n. gen. 



Legs provided with numerous flattened scales in addition to the usual setae; 

 femora not elavate. Cell R2 of the wings large and conspicuous, vein R2 being 

 elongate; cell 1st M2 short-rectangular, sometimes open by the atrophy of Ms- 



Genotype, Gnophomyia fascipennis (Thomson). (Australia). 



Edwards has pointed out the close relationship existing between the genus 

 Gymnastes Brunetti and the present group, which includes, besides the genotype, 

 P. gloria (Ales.), P. cyanoceps (Alex.) and P. nigripes, n.sp., all the known 

 species being Australian. It is probable that the Gymnastes gToup has been de- 

 rived from flies that were generally similar to the above group of species. The 

 species of Paragymnastes show a conspicuous sexual dimorphism, the pattern of 

 the wings of the female (except P. gloria) being very different from that of the 

 male. The species of Gymnastes, which occur in the Eastern Palaearctic, Orien- 

 tal and Ethiopian Regions, are to be distinguished from those of Paragymnastes 

 not only by the venational characters listed above, but by the structure of the 

 leg's and the male hypopygium. 



The following comparison of characters will sufflee to show the more im- 

 portant venational differences between the groups : 



Gymnastes Brunetti. Vein R2 short, oblique, more or less fused basally with 

 r, cell 2nd Ri being very small or triang-ular [(?. ornatipennis (de Meijere), pic- 

 tipennis (Edwards), pennipes Brunetti, flavitibia (Alexander) and hyalipennis 

 (Alexander) ], or cell R2 being completely obliterated [G. cyanea (Edwards), 

 bistriatipennis Brunetti, teucliolaboides (Alexander) and shirahii (Alexander) ] ; 

 Rs shorter, more or less arcuated at origin; cell 1st M2 very elongate, strongly 

 widened distally, approximately as long as, to one-third shorter than, vein Ms 

 beyond it. 



Paragymnastes, n. gen. Vein R2 long, running generally parallel to vein Ra , 

 cell 2nd Ri being elongate; r present, rarely lacking [P. cyanoceps (Alexander) ] ; 

 Rs elongate; cell 1st M2 short-rectangular, gently widened distally, about one- 

 third the length of vein Ms beyond it; rarely (P. cyanoceps) open by the atrophy 

 of the outer deflection of Ms. 



Paragymnastes nigripes, n.sp. 



Legs of the male largely black, in the female with an orange subterminal 

 ring on the femora and with the basal half of the metatarsi pale. 



(S. Length, 4.2 mm.; wing, 5.2 mm. 2. Length, 6.8 mm.; wing, 5.6 mm. 



Male. Rostrum and palpi black. Antennae with the scapal segments obscure 

 yellow, the first segment dark basaUy, the second segTaent dark apically; flagellum 

 black. Head black, sparsely pruinose, the genae passing into reddish. 



Pronotum and mesonotum shiny reddish-yellow, the praescutum with four 

 black stripes on the posterior half of the sclerite, obliterated anteriorly; scutal 

 lobes black; reniainder of the mesonotum more yellowish. Pleura yellow, the 



