Baccha elegans Brunetti, 1915:220

Head

Eyes absolutely contiguous for about half the distance from frontal triangle to vertex; (in one example they are quite distinctly though very narrowly separated).

Frons shining violet black, frontal triangle and face wholly deep chrome yellow, with a very distinct median black stripe, broader on upper part, from below antennae to mouth border.

No obvious bump on face.

Antennae wholly bright orange yellow, antennal prominence hardly noticeable.

Occiput whitish grey, cut away in profile behind upper part of eyes; a fringe ocular orbit.

of short white hairs Proboscis brownish round entire yellow.

Thorax

Dorsum shining deep blue, with very short whitish depressed pubescence.

Sides dark blue black.

Pale callus-like yellow spots are placed as follows: a large one on the shoulder contiguous to a lateral oblong one along the side, just below the dorsum and just touching a large perpendicular oblong one on the mesopleura, which in its turn is sub-contiguous to a round one on the sternopleura.

A more or less oval one behind the wings.

Scutellum mainly blackish brown, with a well marked pale lemon yellow base, this colour extending over the sides.

Metanotum dark bluish black.

Abdomen

First segment very short, sub-triangular; 2nd exceedingly narrow and elongate; 3rd equally narrow on basal third, thence suddenly widening to three times that width, the whole segment less long than 2nd; 4th distinctly shorter than 3rd, 5th less than half as long as 4th.

The enlargement of the abdomen continues to the tip of the 4th segment, the 5th narrowing.

The 1st segment is wholly brownish yellow, the rest of the abdomen 1is shining dark brown, with a vague violet tint, and there is a pale narrow space at the junction of the 2nd and 3rd segments, also broadly at tip of 3rd segment Genitalia shining brownish yellow, with some obscure markings and a small process below.

Belly mainly a replica of upper side 'The whole abdomen with a little very short blackish pubescence, some longer, though still short, whitish pubescence at sides of first two segments.

Legs

Anterior pairs bright brownish yellow, bare except for a little pale hair below the femora; hind legs with coxae obscure above, femora darker brownish yellow, tibiae pale yellow on basal half, black on remainder, as is also the metanotum ; hind tarsi tips brownish.

Wings

Wings clear, except subcostal cell, from base to tip blackish or blackish brown, the colour carried narrowly along the front margin to tip of 3rd longitudinal vein.

Halteres brownish yellow.

Types

Described from several ♂♂ in the Indian Museum from Sukna, 500 ft.

1 and 2-vii-08 ; and from jungle at base of Dawna Hills, 1-iii-08 [both Annandale]; Rungpo, Sikkim, 1400 ft. 6-ix-00.

In the latter specimen the face is wholly pale, but it is undoubtedly this species. This is evidently distinct from Aavopunctata, though bearing a close resemblance, and at one time I thought it the o of that species. It differs in the distinct blue tinge to the whole thorax instead of the almost cupreous dorsum in Aavopunctata. Also in the metapleural stripe which is shorter and more truncate at its lower end, instead ol longer, elongate oval and sometimes divided transversely. The femora are only slightly browner apically than basally, the tips seldom paler ; instead of a deeper brown middle part, the base distinctly pale and the tips always more or less so. The whole hind metatarsus is black, instead of only at the base; the costal cell quite clear, not yellowish. The abdominal marks appear constant in elegans in the five specimens seen, except that the 3rd segment in one of them is all black