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Show 1893.] MR. E. E. AUSTEN ON NEW DIPTEROUS INSECTS. 163 Since Loew's memoir no addition has been made to the extra- European species of Rhingia mentioned by him (loc. cit.): these are Rh. nasica, Say (J. Acad. Phil. iii. 94; Compl. W r . ii. 81 ; Wiedemann, Auss. zw. Ins. ii. 115; Williston, Synopsis N . Amer. Syrphida?, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. No. 31, p. 130), from North America; Rh. nigra, Macq. (Dipt. Exot. i. Suppl. p. 133, t. 11. fig. 10), from Colombia ; and Rh. laevigata, Lw. (Wien. ent. Monatschr. Bd. ii. p. 107), from Japan. From specimens in the Museum Collection I am able to state that Lycastrirhyncha nitens, Bigot (Plate V. figs. 15, 16) (Rev. et Mag. Zool. 1859, p. 307), from the Amazons, which Bigot afterwards (Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr. 6e serie, t. i. 1881, p. 373) thought to be a Rhingia, and identical with Rh. nigra, Macq., has nothing whatever to do with Rhingia, but is one of the Eristalini. The genus Lycastrirhyncha is a perfectly good aud very remarkable one, which is characterized by possessing the body, wings, and legs of an Eristalis and the head of a Rhingia, with a somewhat elongated epistoma. The position of the anterior cross-vein of the wings and the thickened posterior femora are in themselves sufficient to dispose of all doubt as to the true affinities of the genus. The genus Lycastris of Walker (Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond. n. ser. vol. iv. p. 155,-founded for a species from India), which Bigot likewise proposes (loc. cit.) to sink in favour of Rhingia, is allied to Criorhina I Bradiyopa rufo-cyanea, Wlk. (Ent. Mag. ii. 472), from New Holland, is a Cyphipelta, Bigot (Rev. et Mag. Zool. 1859, p. 307), and = C. conifrons, Bigot, loc. cit. ( = Eristalis vesicularis, Erichs., -Wiegmann's Archiv, 1842, 272), which is the type of the genus. Walker's species was published in 1834, and therefore his name has the priority. This species is the only one of the genus hitherto described. Bigot stated that the genus is most closely allied to Volucella, but it has been shown by von Rbder (Wien. ent. Z. i. 61), who re-described the genus, that its proper position is nearest Rhingia. EXPLANATION OF THE PLATES. PLATE IV. Fig. 1. Ocyptamus iris, sp. n., 2' P- 133. 2. Baccha amphithoe, Wlk., 2 > P- 142. 3. sulica, sp. n., 2 > P- 144. 4. refulgens, sp. n., 2 > P- 138. 5. triangulifera, sp. n., d> P- 138. 0. bicolor, sp. n., d , P- 137. 7. nubilipennis, sp. n., d> P> 130. 8. signifera, sp. n., d> P- 145. 9. nubilipennis, sp. n., 2 > P- 130. 10. pulchrifrons, sp. n., d» P- 139. 10a. Head of ditto from above, enlarged. 11. Baccha pulchrifrons, 2, P- 139. 12. fallax, sp. n., d> P- 142. 13. incompta, sp. n., d> P- 147. 14. sagittifera, sp. n., ? , p. 144. 15. levhsima, sp. n., d> P- 140. 11* |