TACHINIDAE OF ORIENTAL REGION 23 



Formicophania, for example, in which the posteroventral declivity of the thorax 

 is normally widely membranous medially, specimens occur in which the membranous 

 area is very narrow or even obliterated so that the enlarged metapleura meet at a 

 median suture, and in Catapariprosopa the palpi, though present, are much smaller 

 than in other palpate forms. 



A definition of the non-palpate Cylindromyia-complex has been given earlier 

 (Crosskey, 19736 : 37). It is now necessary to provide a definition that applies 

 to Oriental Cylindromyiini as a whole (and very largely to all world forms). 



Head dichoptic, eyes wide apart and equally so in both sexes. Eyes bare, facets not enlarged. 

 Face without facial carina or subantennal bulla but sometimes raised medially. Genal dilation 

 undeveloped. Ocellar setae usually weak or absent, proclinate. Head of both sexes often 

 with proclinate orbital setae and outwardly twisted prevertical setae. Yibrissae very varied. 

 Facial ridges bare or at most with (in some Hevmya) short very fine inconspicuous recumbent 

 hairs. Parafacials bare. Antennal axis above level of eye-middle. Arista bare, with short 

 basal segments and thickened only near the base (except in Catapariprosopa). Proboscis 

 short. Palpi present or absent. Presternum bare. Propleuron bare or (rarely) haired. 

 Humeral setae 2-3(4). Acr setae present or absent. Usually three post dc setae. One or 

 two post ia setae. Prst ia seta absent. Presutural seta present. Pre-alar seta almost always 

 present (if weak). One or two sa setae. Scutellum with two or three pairs of marginal setae. 

 Stpl setae 0-4 (often intraspecifically variable). Posteroventral declivity of the thorax most 

 often completely sclerotized, sometimes narrowly to widely membranous medially, the meta- 

 coxae widely separated from the abdominal base. Wings elongate, often partly or wholly 

 coloured. Cell R b open or petiolate (petiole of varied length but seldom much longer than 

 r-m). Second costal sector usually conspicuously haired ventrally. Veins bare except for 

 a few small hairs or long setulose hairs on both surfaces of the basal node of /? 4 , 5 . Bend of 

 M rounded or strongly angulate, with or without appendix. Lower calypter rounded pos- 

 teriorly, usually arched, rarely almost flat [reduced and not larger than the upper calypter 

 in an undescribed Brazilian form]. Legs moderately strongly bristled but femora often without 

 any setae on ventral surfaces. Mid tibia with not more than two ad setae, usually with sub- 

 median v seta. Hind tibia with or without submedian pv setae, with or without pv apical 

 seta and with one or two dorsal preapical setae (ad or ad and d, no pd preapical). Abdomen 

 elongate, subcylindrical, subfusiform or clavate (Text-figs 1 19-123), often with enlarged re- 

 curved postabdomen (petiolation of the abdomen in some forms giving 'waisted' appearance). 

 Ti + 2 slightly excavate only at extreme base. Tergites with at least some clearly differen- 

 tiated setae. Sternites 2-4 hidden or partially exposed. Sternite 5 of <$ often with lateral 

 lobes produced into elongate processes (Text-figs 124-128) and postabdomen of $ often termina- 

 ting in hook-like claspers (Text-figs 129-135). [Some forms with very strong mimetic resem- 

 blance to vespoid Hymenoptera.] 



Although Townsend's concept of the tribe is very largely followed here it has 

 proved impossible to support his generic concepts within the tribe. Even by 

 Townsend's standards his proliferation of valueless genera among the Oriental 

 Cylindromyiini was excessive, and several of his so-called genera were based on 

 characters that show much intraspecific variability, particularly the number of 

 sternopleural setae and the presence or absence of basal scutellar setae. In other 

 parts of the Tachinidae the number of sternopleural setae and the presence, absence 

 or strength of basal scutellar setae can be extremely stable and can therefore 

 provide characters of real taxonomic worth. In the Cylindromyiini this is not 

 so, and because of the variability that is shown in these features I have come to 



