SPH.EEOPHTHALMA. 373 



The legs are black, and densely covered with white hair. The wings fusco-hyaline, 

 paler towards the base ; the radial cellule wide, not reaching to the apex of the third 

 cubital cellule, its apex truncated ; the first cubital cellule longer than the radial 

 cellule, but shorter on the lower side than the second ; the second cellule at the top is 

 a little less than the space bounded by the first transverse cubital and the first recurrent 

 nervures ; the first and second transverse cubital nervures are roundly elbowed ; the 

 first recurrent nervure is received in the basal fourth of the cellule ; the third cubital 

 cellule is sharply angled above the middle, and is much narrowed at the bottom ; the 

 second recurrent nervure is joined to the third transverse cubital nervure. 



124. Sphserophthalma melanogaster. 



Long. 11 millim. tf . 



Hab. Mexico, North Yucatan (Gaumer). 



Identical in coloration with S. thalia, except that the ventral surface is entirely 

 black, but much smaller, and having the second cubital cellule at the bottom not 

 longer than the first, and otherwise easily separated by the apex of the first ventral 

 segment being curved and less developed than the base. 



The head not much narrower than the thorax, covered all over with a dense greyish 

 pubescence, and with long fuscous hairs ; behind the eyes it is not developed half their 

 length ; the antennal . tubercle and the mandibles black. The antennae stout, black, as 

 long as the head and thorax united ; the scape thickly covered with long white hair ; 

 the third and fourth joints subequal. The thorax is not three times the length of the 

 head; the pronotum covered all over with greyish hair; the mesonotum coarsely 

 punctured and covered with black hair ; the scutellum thickly covered with long grey 

 hair, the median segment being also covered with long white hair and coarsely reticu- 

 lated. The abdomen is much longer than the head and thorax united ; deep orange, 

 except the base and apex and the greater part of the ventral surface, which are black. 

 The petiole is slightly but gradually dilated to the apex, coarsely punctured, and 

 covered with long, soft, white hair ; the apex of the sixth and the whole of the apical 

 segment are covered with black hair ; the third and fourth ventral segments are obscure 

 piceous at the base. The wings are short and paler at the base. The second transverse 

 cubital nervure is roundly, the third more sharply, elbowed ; the third a little above 

 the middle forming an acute angle, and the lower part of the nervure almost obliterated. 

 The first recurrent nervure is received in the basal third of the cellule, the second 

 apparently interstitial. 



