HONTALIA. 113 



1. Hontalia CSBrulea. (Tab. VI. fig. 1, $ ; 1 «, head from the side.) 

 Caertilea ; antennis nigris, tarsis, femoribus tibiisque anterioribus rufo-testaceis ; alis hyaiinis ( $ ). 

 Long. 7-8 millim., terebra 4 millim. 



Hdb. Nicaragua, Chontales (Janson). 



Head and thorax minutely pilose, covered with large, roundish, distinctly separated 

 punctures ; the mesonotum in front and a longitudinal narrow line on scutellum 

 smooth, shining, impunctate. A large oblique space on the mesopleura impunctate, 

 finely striated, more strongly at the extreme apex ; posterior coxae obliquely striated, 

 punctured at the base. Metanotum finely punctured, and with six keels. Petiole 

 alutaceous, with four keels. Ovipositor covered with short white hairs at the apex. 

 Antennae as long as the thorax, covered with a microscopic down ; the joints not 

 clearly separated, becoming gradually thicker towards the apex, which is conical. The 

 anterior femora and tibiae are darkened towards the middle. 



2. Hontalia ruficornis. (Tab. VI. fig. 2, $ ; 2 a, antenna ; 2 #, head ; 2 c, abdo- 

 men.) 



Nigra ; antennis, femoribus tibiisque anterioribus runs ; tarsis paUide testaceis ; alis fumatis, albo fasciatis. 

 Long. 4-5 millim. 



Eab. Panama, Bugaba 800. to 1500 feet (Champion). 



Antennae a little shorter than the thorax, thickened towards the apex, where the 

 joints become also shorter; second joint a very little shorter than the third. Scape not 

 reaching the top of the tubercles. Frontal tubercles large, broad, projecting above the 

 eyes and in front ; the upper part is sharply pointed, behind it curves down on either 

 side to near the middle, the sides being margined and enclosing a slightly hollow space ; 

 from the middle it descends gradually to the vertex ; in front its slope is more perpen- 

 dicular, and towards the middle of the eyes it curves out into a tooth, from this 

 descending with a slight inward curve to the base of the antennae. On each side of 

 the mouth the head projects into a blunt tooth. The head (especially in front) is 

 coarsely punctured, and covered with a short silvery pubescence. In front the pronotum 

 is smooth, shining, impunctate, at the sides obscurely punctured; above coarsely 

 punctured, except a broad, smooth, shining, impunctate transverse band. Mesonotum 

 and scutellum coarsely punctured ; in the front of the former is a narrow, shining, 

 transverse furrow. Pleurae coarsely punctured, except a hollow space below the tegulae, 

 which is finely striated. In the centre of the metanotum is a large area, truncated 

 behind, rounded in front, where it ends a little beyond the middle, and from its apex 

 there runs a straight keel to the petiole. On either side of this is a similar field, but 

 sharper-pointed at the apex, and from their apices a keel runs also to the petiole. 

 Outside these keels, and close to the edge, is a keel which runs round the border of 

 the metanotum ; at its basal third the metathorax projects into a blunt tooth. The 



biol. CENTE.-AMEK., Hymenopt., July 1884. QQ 



