TACHTTES. 61 



microscopically pilose, the first joint sparsely covered with long fulvous hair ; first joint 

 considerably narrowed at the base, as long as the second and third joints united ; second 

 joint a little more than one third the length of the third, and half the length of the 

 fourth. Head opaque, minutely punctured, the cheeks and clypeus covered with long 

 fulvous-golden hair, the rest of the head more sparsely clothed with pale fulvous hair. 

 Clypeus distinctly punctured, the apex entire, broadly rounded. Base of the mandibles 

 apparently striated, densely covered with obscure golden pile ; the middle bears some 

 rather long reddish hair and a few large punctures ; the apex piceous-red. Thorax 

 opaque, minutely punctured, the punctures distinctly separated, covered with a fulvous 

 pubescence, which is especially long on the sternum. Metanotum with a gradual 

 rounded slope, impunctate (or the punctures only visible under a high power), an 

 elongated fovea at the apex in the middle ; the apex keeled down the centre, rounded, 

 oblique. Abdomen as long as the thorax, strongly aciculated ; the basal ventral seg- 

 ments aciculated, almost impunctate in the middle, the penultimate and the apical 

 half of the last punctured, the latter strongly. Pygidial area roughly longitudinally 

 striated, and covered with fiery-red bristly pubescence ; the apex sharply rounded, the 

 keels raised, especially towards the apex. 



^ 3. Tachytes andreniformis. (Tab. IV. fig. 20.) 



[Niger, fulvo-hirtus, abdominis segmentis cinereo-pilosis ; alis fere hyalinis. 

 Long. 13 millim. 



Hab. Mexico, Vera Cruz (H. E. Smith, Jan. 1888). 



Antennae filiform, longer than the head and thorax united, sparsely microscopically 

 pilose ; the basal joint covered with long fulvous hair, scarcely so long as the second and 

 third joints united ; the second joint scarcely half the length of the third, the latter a 

 little longer than the fourth. Face, clypeus (except at the apex), and cheeks bearing 

 long fulvous hair, the hair hiding the surface ; the vertex more sparsely clothed with 

 long fulvous hair, opaque, closely punctured. Eyes distinctly converging at the top, 

 where they are separated by a little more than the length of the third antennal joint. 

 There is a triangular depression above the ocelli, and the latter are situated on an 

 elevation ; an indistinct furrow runs down from them. Apex of the clypeus projecting 

 in the middle, the projection rounded and with a slight waved incision on either side 

 of it. Mandibles closely rugosely punctured at the base, reddish towards the middle. 

 Thorax opaque, the scutellum distinctly punctured, covered with long fuscous hair and 

 more densely along the sides of the mesonotum with fulvous hair ; on the pleurae the 

 hair is sparser. Abdomen sparsely covered with fuscous hair, the segments bearing a 

 fringe of cinereous hair, which is almost interrupted in the centre. The ventral seg- 

 ments bear at their junction a few long fulvous hairs. Pygidial area broad, the apex 

 broadly rounded and whitish ; the surface with black, mixed with rufous, hairs. Apical 

 ventral segment punctured. Coxae, trochanters, and femora covered with fuscous, the 



