TACHINIDAE OF ORIENTAL REGION 95 



lower calypter not projecting beyond the upper calypter. Legs long and slender with strong 

 setae. Fore coxa mostly bare on the anterior surface. Fore tibia with two widely separated 

 ad setae and two widely separated p setae; mid tibia with a v seta and two ad setae. Hind 

 coxa bare posterodorsally. Hind tibia with two d preapical setae and a small pv apical seta. 

 Abdomen long and narrow with Ti + 2 not excavate to its hind margin and with the sternites 

 almost wholly concealed. Ti + 2, T3 and T4 with long strong marginal setae and with some 

 weak erect discal setae haphazardly developed; T5 with strong discal setae but weak marginals. 

 9 without evident ovipositor \<£ terminalia not known]. 



Tribe ERNESTIINI 



This tribe is represented in the Oriental Region only along the northern (Hima- 

 layan) fringe, and forms an essentially Palaearctic element in the Oriental fauna. 

 Apart from the dull-coloured genus Hyalurgus all the ernestiines found on the 

 Oriental side of the Himalayas are metallic green or blue forms that comprise the 

 subtribe Chrysocosmiina of Zimin (1958) . Mesnil (1971 ; 1972) has recently separated 

 these metallic green/blue genera into different tribal-group segregates, placing 

 Chrysosomopsis in the Linnaemyiina, J anthinomyia in the Ernestiina, and Gym- 

 nocheta (as Gymnochaeta) in a group of its own (the Gymnochaetina). Previous 

 authors have not parted these genera in this manner, but have considered them very 

 closely allied. In the present work the three genera involved are kept together 

 in the Ernestiini, as a careful comparison of the adult flies does not appear to justify 

 their segregation into different tribes or subtribes. 



The genus Eucomus Aldrich comes into the group of metallic forms referred to, 

 but is herein newly synonymized with Chrysosomopsis Townsend. Two species 

 have been described in Eucomus, the type-species E. strictus Aldrich and E. vicinus 

 Mesnil, which are extremely alike and externally differ only by the slightly wider 

 male frons of the latter (the male genitalia of the types have not been examined 

 but might show differences). Mesnil (19716 : 1004) has recently transferred vicinus 

 to Chrysosomopsis, an assignment which seems fully justified, and strictus is also 

 here placed in Chrysosomopsis (thus Eucomus falling as a synonym). In Eucomus 

 the male frons is very reduced through close approximation of the eyes, there are 

 no evident inner vertical setae in the male, and the setulae on the base of ^ 4+5 

 extend only half way to r-m, whereas in C. auratus (Fallen), the type-species of 

 Chrysosomopsis, the male frons is wider with well developed inner vertical setae 

 and the R t +5 setulae extend almost to r-m, but these differences are not considered 

 sufficiently significant for the recognition of Eucomus as a genus distinct from 

 Chrysosomopsis. 



Mention should be made of the monotypic genus Everestiomyia Townsend which 

 is so far known only from the Rongbuk glacier on the northern side of Mt Everest 

 in Tibet. It is possible that E. antennalis Townsend occurs on the Nepalese side 

 of Everest and elsewhere at high altitudes on the Oriental side of the Himalayas; 

 if so, it should be easily recognizable from the placement of Everestiomyia in the 

 accompanying key to ernestiine genera and the characters there given. 



The Oriental Ernestiini have the following characteristics in common. 



