io 4 R. W. CROSSKEY 



combination of characters for a member of the Tachinini, and cannot be assigned 

 to an existing genus, a new genus is proposed for it below and the new binomen 

 Tothillia asiatica (Tothill) comb. n. is here established. 



Genus TOTHILLIA gen. n. 



Type-species: Chaetopiagia asiatica Tothill, 1918. 



Diagnosis. Eyes bare. Vibrissae, frontal and orbital setae exceptionally strong. Ocellar 

 setae present, of moderate size. Both sexes with proclinate orbital setae. Parafacial with 

 some strong setae in addition to fine hairing. Gena bearing a strong genal seta (isolated or 

 accompanied by a weaker black setula). Facial regions unusually flat, epistome only just 

 visible in profile, vibrissae inserted exactly level with epistomal margin. Occiput with entirely 

 white hairing behind the postocular setae. Antennae long, reaching to epistomal margin, 

 third segment longer than second and widening at its end; arista with both basal segments 

 greatly elongate (each nearly as long as terminal part and arista therefore appearing tripartite). 

 Palpi present, fully developed. Humeral callus with setae as in Cuphocera. 3+3 acr setae. 

 3 + 3 dc setae (apparently only two prst dc but a very small dc present in front of the two 

 main widely separated prst dc). 1 + 2 ia setae. Two supra-alar setae, second very weak 

 compared to pra seta. Posterior postalar seta enormous (tip reaching almost to hind margin 

 of T3). Prostigmatic seta very weak (much smaller than the strong propleural seta). Three 

 stpl setae. Pteropleural seta enormous (tip reaching to beyond the hind margin of Ti -f 2 )- 

 Propleuron haired. Pleurotergite bare. Scutellum with two pairs of enormous long slightly 

 divergent setae (laterals and subapicals) and with two pairs of very weak marginal setae (basals 

 and apicals, latter crossed and horizontal). Thoracic pleural hair white. Tarsi black. Mid 

 tibia with several exceptionally strong pd setae and one p seta (plus the usual series of strong 

 ad setae and v seta). Hind coxa finely haired on the posterodorsal surface. Hind tibia with 

 a very strong pd preapical seta. Wing (Text-fig. 96) with veins R 1 and i? 4+5 strongly setulose 

 on the whole length of the upper surface, with i? t setulose on the apical two-thirds of its lower 

 surface, and with R i+b setulose on the whole of the lower surface. Second costal sector haired 

 ventrally. Third costal sector exceptionally short (hardly exceeding half the length of the 

 second sector). Apices of veins R 3 , i? 4 + 5 and M x and the bend of M exceptionally remote 

 from the wing apex, cell i? 5 narrowly open. Bend of vein M with a very long M 2 fold. Basi- 

 costa clear pallid yellow. Abdomen with intersegmental sutures almost obliterated medially. 

 Ti + 2 excavate and without median marginal setae. Intermediate abdominal tergites 

 (T3 and T4) each with a pair or more of strong discal setae. 



The new genus Tothillia differs from other Tachinini most obviously by having 

 the first and third wing veins strongly setulose along their length (except for basal 

 part of first vein bare on lower surface) and by the quite exceptional strength of 

 much of the chaetotaxy (the vibrissae, frontal setae, orbitals, posterior postalar, 

 pteropleural, and lateral and subapical scutellar setae being enormously developed). 

 The general appearance is very different from more typical Tachinini, but the 

 affinities appear to be most closely with the Palaearctic genus Schineria Rondani. 

 Tothillia can be most usefully compared with Schineria and Cuphocera. It resembles 

 Schineria in head shape and body form, haired propleuron, and the disposition of 

 much of the chaetotaxy (the scutellum, for example, being almost identical) but 

 differs in the aforementioned setulose wing veins, in possessing parafacial bristles, 

 in having three (not two) sternopleural setae and posterodorsal hairing on the hind 

 coxa, and in lacking median marginal setae on Ti + 2 - It agrees with Cuphocera, 



