103 

 Genus LXX. ASILVS. 



GENERIC CHARACTER. 



Antenna with four articulations, the last a bristle 

 arising from a cone. Mouth with a straight, 

 extended, horny, bivalve rostrum. Palpi 

 two, short, downy and filiform. 



General Observations. 



In the insects of this genus, the halteres, or 

 balancers, (two little globular bodies placed on 

 slender stalks beneath the wings,) are very appa- 

 rent. The body is more or less hairy ; in some 

 species it is very downy, and the head in gene- 

 ral is furnished with hairs like thosk on the body. 

 The Asili live by rapine, preying on other in- 

 sects, and attacking not only flies, tipulas, &c. 

 but even bees, and some of the Coleoptera. 

 They seize their prey with their long legs, kill 

 it with their horny trunk, and suck all the juices 

 from its body. The majority of the species 

 frequent woods and dry places, flying about 

 with rapidity in hot and clear weather : some 





