As the genus is a new one to our fauna, I here give an amended transcription of the generic characters from Schiner’s Fauna Austriaca, to include the new species, which differs only in unimportant details.
Callicera.
Rather large, stout, green or black species with metallic lustre and abundant, long pile. Head hemispherical, somewhat broader than the thorax. Antennae porrect, longer than the head, somewhat remote at their base, inserted upon a protuberance of the front; first joint sometimes elongate; second joint shorter than, or as long as, the first joint; third joint one to three times the length of the first two joints taken together, with a short, terminal style. Face broad, under the antennae concave in profile; an obtuse tubercle below the middle; on the sides thickly covered with pile. Proboscis rather prominent, with broad labella. Eyes hairy, holoptic in the male. Abdomen elliptical, as long or longer than the thorax. Legs moderately strong. Third longitudinal vein straight, first posterior cell distally short petiolate; marginal cell open; cross-vein situated near the middle of the discal cell, oblique.
Callicera montensis, n. sp.,
Plate vii, f. 4.
Male. Black, densely golden red pilose. Frontal triangle, face and cheeks deep black, shining, covered thickly with black pile, save a median facial stripe. Antennae black, basal third of third joint on the under side red; first joint short; second joint not more than half as long as the first; third joint three times as long as the first and second joints taken together; gradually broadened for a third of its length, and then attenuated; style white. Eyes thickly clothed with golden pile. Thorax and abdomen covered everywhere with long golden red pile. Legs black; tarsal joints below and at their articulations reddish. Wings nearly hyaline, brownish on the anterior basal portion; stigma yellow.
Length 11 millimeters. Three specimens, Colorado.
The genus may be distinguished from Pelecocera, in Williston’s dichotomic table of the genera of North American Syrphidae, by the pilose eyes.
Microdon megalogaster, n. sp.,
Plate vii, f. 1.