284 HYMENOPTEEA. 



white hair. The median segment with a gradually rounded slope to the apex, reticu- 

 lated, covered with long white hair, the base with a dense white pubescence ; the area 

 elongate, not much narrowed towards the apex, where the tubercle is moderately distinct. 

 The propleurse scarcely excavated behind, above with large punctures ; the sculpture 

 of the mesopleurae hidden by the dense silvery pubescence ; the metapleurse reticulated 

 behind. The basal segment of the abdomen shining, bearing large, round, widely 

 separated punctures, there being a ring of punctures at the apex, the hair sparse and 

 long ; the second segment almost impunctate ; the other segments finely punctured on 

 the apical half and fringed with fiery-ferruginous hair. The pygidium punctured closely 

 and broadly at the base and sides, the apical part in the middle bluntly and slightly 

 ridged, the apex perpendicular ; down the centre is a slight keel, ending at the top 

 and bottom in a distinct blunt tooth, the lower tooth being the larger. At the base of 

 the first ventral segment are three broad keels — the basal two shining and bluntly 

 pointed at the apex, the apical one opaque and rounded ; the central keel slightly 

 raised at the apex ; the sides a little hollowed and with some large punctures. The 

 second ventral segment has a few punctures ; the other segments are punctured on the 

 apical half and bear long white hair. The hypopygium has the centre raised, smooth, 

 and shining, except for some punctures, this raised central part becoming gradually 

 narrowed to the apex, which ends in a point ; there is a distinct furrow down the outer 

 edge ; the sides are covered with long pale hair. The wings are uniformly fuscous, 

 with a faint violaceous tinge. The radial cellule extends beyond the apex of the third 

 cubital, and it is moderately wide ; the first abscissa of the radius is straight and sharply 

 oblique, the apical one being about one fourth longer than it and slightly curved. 

 The first transverse cubital nervure is oblique and a little curved, the second is perpen- 

 dicular and slightly curved, and the third is angled at the middle. The first recurrent 

 nervure is received close to the middle, the second at a greater distance from it ; the 

 third cubital cellule at the bottom is a little longer than it is at the top. The trans- 

 verse median is received shortly in front of the basal. The legs are covered with long 

 white hair ; the tarsal spines are fulvous. 



27. Mutilla osberti. 



Long. 13 millim. c? • 



Rah. Mexico, Teapa in Tabasco (R. H. Smith). 



Head coarsely punctured, thickly covered with greyish-silvery pubescence, more 

 sparsely on the vertex, which bears also long fuscous hair ; the clypeus shining, impunc- 

 tate, glabrous, the apex depressed and rounded ; the mandibles entirely black. The 

 eyes large, the head roundly narrowed behind them. The scape of the antennae punc- 

 tured, sparsely covered with white hair ; from the middle it becomes gradually dilated 

 to the apex, the apex being almost keeled on the underside and impunctate; the 

 flagellum with a dull pile; the third and fourth joints equal in length. The pronotum 



