PTEROPTILA. — HELOPHILUS. 



67 



Milesia cruciger, Wiedem. Aussereur. zweifl. Ins. ii. p. 105 3 . 

 Plagiocera cruciger, Macq. Dipt. Exot. ii. 2, p. 60, t. 10. f . 7 4 . 



Pteroptila crucigera, Willist. Synopsis N.-Am. Syrphidai, p. 180, t. 8. figg. 1, la-c s . 

 Mallota millesiformis, Macq. Hist. Nat. Dipt. i. p. 500 G . 



Hab. United States, Georgia * 4 5 , Carolina 1 \ Florida 5 , Texas -\— Mexico, Northem 

 Sonora (Morrison), Atoyac in Vera Cruz, Teapa in Tabasco (H. H. Smith), Yucatan 6 

 (Gaumer). — Cuba 4 6 . 



A male specimen from Teapa agrees throughout with the detailed description given 

 by me, though it is only twelve millim. in length. A female from Atoyac has the facial 

 stripe almost wholly red, the black mesonotal stripes mostly wanting, the scutellum 

 lighter, and the hind femora almost entirely black. A male from Yucatan has the 

 face and front wholly reddish, the mesonotal stripes wanting, the scutellum red, and 

 the second abdominal segment largely red. Two other examples, both males, from 

 Sonora and Teapa, agree with the last-mentioned specimen in the colour of the head 

 and thorax ; but they have the abdomen almost wholly red and reddish-brown — the 

 first segment and a narrow stripe at the base of the second opaque black, and the 

 hind femora almost entirely black; these specimens measure 14-15 millim. in length. 

 I believe that they ail belong to one species, though showing a variation not previously 

 suspected. 



2. Pteroptila zonata. 



Pteroptila zonata, Loew, Centur. vi. no. 60, in Berl. ent. Zeitsclir. 1865, p. 165 1 ; Willist. Synopsis 

 N.-Am. Syrphidaj, p. 182 (translation). 



Hab. Mexico \ Xucumanatlan 7000 feet, and Omilteme 8000 feet, both in Guerrero 

 (H H Smith). 



I may add to Loew's description, which applies well to the three specimens received, 

 that, between the white tomentose spots of the anterior part of the thorax, the black 

 is velvety, as is also the second abdominal segment before the yellow cross-band. In 

 the female the front is black, the femora are black, except their tips, and the four 

 front tibiee are black at the distal end. 



A single, female, specimen from Volcan de Chiriqui (Champion) differs in its larger 

 size (16 millim.), and in having the pile of the sides of the thorax and of the first 

 abdominal segment brassy-yellow ; the legs darker (all the tarsi and the ends of the 

 hind tibise being blackish) and with yellow pile ; and the costal cell dark brown, not 

 nearly hyaline. I believe that it belongs to a distinct species; at all events, the 

 variety is a well-marked one, and may be knovvn as P. loewi. 



HELOPHILUS. 



Elophilus, Meigen, in llliger's Magazin, ii. p. 274 (1803). 



Asemosyrphus, Bigot, Bull. Soc. Ent. Fr. 1882, p. csxviii, and Ann. Soc. Ent. Er. 1883, p. 288. 



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