EPHIALTES. — THEEONIA. 263 



triangle is either entirely, or lined laterally with, black. Petiole broad, depressed 

 in the centre and at the sides towards the apex ; shining, impunctate. The rest of 

 the abdomen closely punctured ; the sides above projecting in the centre, and with a 

 broad transverse furrow at the apex; an oblique depression on each side of the base of 

 the second segment; the second and third segments are a little longer than broad, the 

 others broader than long. Legs yellowish testaceous, the four anterior trochanters and 

 the base of the femora more or less black ; a broad line on the hind coxae on the outer 

 side, and the hind femora more or less lined with black above ; the base and apex of 

 the hind tibiae sometimes black. Wings yellowish smoky, lighter posteriorly. 



A very variable species. Some specimens are lighter coloured than what I have 

 described above, the thorax and especially the abdomen having very little black. Other 

 specimens have the abdominal segments black, narrowly edged with yellow behind. An 

 example from the Volcan de Chiriqui (4000 to 6000 feet) has the thorax almost entirely 

 black, except the mesopleura broadly in the middle and the mesosternum ; the hinder 

 coxae entirely black, and the middle coxae black behind, the femora, moreover, being 

 more broadly lined with black ; the head also bears more black than usual. The extent 

 of the yellow ring on the antennae varies, and the sheaths of the ovipositor vary in 

 colour from black to piceous. 



3. Ephialtes nigricans. (Tab. XL fig. 5.) 



Niger ; femoribus, tibiisque anterioribus flavo-testaceis, tibiis posticis sordide testaceis ; alis fusco-byalinis, 



stigmate nigro. $ . 

 Long. 21 millim. 



Hab. Guatemala, San Geronimo (Champion). 



Antennae thickish, shorter than the body. Face covered with longish white hair, 

 finely punctured ; a broad transverse depression above the antennae ; a short broad 

 furrow leads into this from the ocelli. Thorax shining, indistinctly punctured, sparsely 

 covered with white hair ; metanotum broad in the middle, transversely striated, the 

 base punctured, the apex shining and impunctate. Abdomen closely punctured, less 

 strongly so towards the apex, the sides covered with longish white hair ; a longish 

 irregular depression on either side of the basal segments ; the other segments dilated 

 in the middle on either side. The ventral surface is obscure testaceous ; above, the 

 apical segments are more or less brownish. The ovipositor is longer than the body. The 

 anterior tarsi are testaceous in front, partly black behind. Areolet broadly triangular. 



THEHONIA. 



Theronia, Holmgren, CEfv. 1859, p. 123 ; Sv. Ak. HandL 1860, p. 16. 



The species of this small genus are usually yellow or luteous in coloration. They 

 are found in Europe and North America, very few species, however, being known. 



