358 HYMENOPTERA. 



v 80. Sphserophthalma araneoides. ' 



Mutilla' araneoides, Smithy Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond. 3rd ser. i. p. 35 (1862) x ; Gerst. Arch. f. 

 Naturg. xl. p. 68 2 . 



Hab. Costa Rica 2 ; Panama (Stretch l ). 



Mr. C. O. Waterhouse has been good enough to examine for me the type of this species, 

 and he finds it to be a Sphmrophthalma, with narrow basal segment to the abdomen. 



v 81. Sphserophthalma waterhousei. 



Mutilla araneoides, Smith, Deser. of New Species of Hymen, p. 223 (1879) (nee Smith, 1862) \ 

 Spharophthalma araneoides, Blake, Trans. Am. Ent. Soc. xiii. p. 256 2 . 



Hab. Nicakagua, San Juan del Sur 1 2 . 



This insect may prove to be inseparable from the preceding ; but Mr. Waterhouse 

 informs me that the second araneoides differs from the first (from Panama) in being 

 a trifle narrower, especially at the widest part of the abdomen, and it also has the two 

 spots on the posterior part of the thorax white, whereas the Panama specimen has 

 these spots fulvous, i. e. of the same colour as the anterior spot. 



^ 82. Sphserophthalma thera. 



Long. 15 millim. 



Hab. Mexico, Milpas in Durango 5900 feet (Forrer). 



Head subquadrate, nearly as wide as the thorax ; broadly rounded in front, trans- 

 verse behind ; the part behind the eyes nearly equalling them in length ; densely 

 covered all over with long fulvous hair ; the mandibles black, ferruginous at the base. 

 The antennae short, thick, the basal joints brownish beneath ; the scape long, thick, 

 bearing pale fulvous hair ; the third joint nearly one-half longer than the fourth. 

 The thorax nearly twice the length of the head, black ; the base and the apex densely 

 covered with long fulvous hair ; the central part has the hair black ; the mesopleurse 

 densely covered with long pale fulvous hair; the metapleurse coarsely reticulated. 

 The median segment with a sharply oblique slope. The abdomen is distinctly longer 

 than the head and thorax united, and wider than them. The basal segment is wider 

 than long, becoming wider towards the apex; it is coarsely punctured, black, and 

 covered with long fulvous hair. The second segment is coarsely punctured, ferruginous ; 

 on the middle is a large trilobate black mark, as in S. arachnoides ; on either side of 

 the basal lobe is a roundish fulvous mark ; the extreme apex of the segment is 

 bordered with fulvous pubescence. The third segment is entirely covered with 

 fulvous pubescence. The fourth and fifth segments are black, with fulvous pubescence 

 at the sides. The pygidium is black, longitudinally striated, the sides with long black 

 hair. The basal ventral segment is black, and covered with long pale fulvous hair, 

 the keel blunt ; the second ventral segment is ferruginous, punctured rather strongly, 

 and covered thickly with long pale fulvous hair ; the other ventral segments are densely 



