36 HYMENOPTEBA. 



S. nigella, Smith (Cat. Hymen. Ins. iv. p. 255), from Shanghai ; Kohl (Termes. fnzetek, 

 ix. p. 193) also regards the two as possibly identical, and records S. nigella from Swan 

 River. 



y 15. Sphex robusta. (Tab. ill. fig. 11, s .) 



Nigro-caerulea, sparse punctata, breviter pilosa ; alis violaceis. c? $ • 

 Long. 23 millim. ' 



Bab. Mexico, Atoyac in Vera Cruz (Schumann), Temax in North Yucatan (Gaumer). 



Antennal joints somewhat thickened towards the base and apex ; the third joint 

 much thinner than the others, and fully one quarter longer than the fourth. Head 

 large, not dilated behind the eyes, but largely developed there ; sparsely punctured ; 

 the vertex shining, bearing a few long hairs and almost devoid of pubescence ; front 

 more thickly clothed with hair, and bearing a silvery pubescence ; clypeus, face, and 

 cheeks densely silvery-pubescent, and thickly covered with long black hair, the hair 

 becoming rufous on the apex of the clypeus. Apex of the clypeus with two stout teeth 

 in the middle, the teeth separated by an incision as broad as themselves ; mandibles 

 shining, broadly excavated at the base on the outer side, the apical tooth large and 

 blunt. Thorax punctured, the metathorax very closely and transversely so and 

 opaque ; the mesonotum covered with a rather short sparse griseous pubescence, the 

 pleura? more thickly pubescent ; the metapleurse densely covered with greyish hair ; 

 the metanotum bearing long blackish hair, the pleurae closely, almost rugosely, punc- 

 tured ; scutellum shining, sparsely punctured, slightly depressed in the middle. 

 Petiole hardly twice the length of the hind coxse. Abdomen narrow, almost glabrous, 

 as" long as the thorax ; the apical segment with a few blackish hairs, and irregularly 

 punctured. Coxa? punctured and bearing some pale hairs ; femora sparsely punctured ; 

 tibiee and tarsi with the spines stout, blunt ; the metatarsal brush rufous. The wings 

 are paler towards the apex ; the second cubital cellule receives the recurrent nervure 

 near the apex, and is of nearly equal width throughout; the third cubital cellule 

 receives the second recurrent nervure at a somewhat greater distance from the second 

 transverse cubital nervure ; the radial cellule extends a little beyond the third cubital. 



In the male the clypeus has a slight indentation in the middle ; the head and thorax 

 are clothed with rather long erect pale hair (much longer and thicker than in the 

 female) ; the petiole is a little longer ; the apical four ventral segments bear tufts of 

 hair in the centre ; and the wings are clearer posteriorly. 



iii. Tarsal claws ^-dentate. (Priononyx, Dahlbom.) 



V 16. Sphex thomSB. (Tab. III. figg. 12, $ ; 12 a, 6 .) 



Sphex thomce, Fabr. Ent. Syst. ii. p. 199. 

 Pepsis thomce, Fabr. Syst. Piez. p. 209. 



Priononyx thorna, Dahlbom, Hymen. Eur. i. p. 28 ; Smith, Cat. Hymen. Ins. iv. p. 265 x ; Saussure, 

 Reise d. Novara, Hymen, p. 43 2 ; Patton, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist. xx. p. 384*. 



