A Contribution to the Knowledge of South African Mutillidce. 355 



in the middle, truncate at both ends and with the apical angle sharp 

 and elongated ; tibiae spinose. Length 15 mm. 



Hab. Cape Colony (Uitenhage). Rev. J. A. O'Neil, Dr. H. 

 Brauns. 



I know now both sexes of M. cloantha and of M. hecuba, caught 

 in coitil and by " sembling." I have ascertained that M. alcyone, 

 Per., is the female of M. exaltata, Sm. These three species, and also 

 M. tyro, Per., the female of which is yet unknown, form a very homo 

 geneous group, both sexes of which are closely allied respectively to 

 one another, and the species of which could be differentiated as- 

 follows : 



Males. 



First and second abdo- 

 minal segments red, infus- 

 cate at tip. 



Mesothorax with a median 

 groove and a raised line or 

 groove on each side ; rneta- 

 thorax with a short median 

 longitudinal groove inter- 

 rupted by a transverse 

 carina. 



Females. 



Black, with the thorax 

 red. 



Prothorax covered with 

 flavescent hairs, third and 

 fourth abdominal segments 

 with a flavescent band . . exaltata. 



Apical edge of third abdo- 

 minal segment only with a 

 flavescent band . . . . . cloantha. 



Head, scutellum, and 

 metathorax clothed with a 

 flavescent pubescence, third 

 and fourth abdominal seg- 

 ments banded Jiecuba. 



Metathorax only covered 

 with flavescent hairs, and 

 naving a broad longitudinal 

 median groove rounded at 

 tip, and not interrupted by 

 transverse ridge, third 

 abdominal segment banded tyro. 



Second abdominal seg- 

 ment with one median, 

 round, whitish spot, third 

 segment with a white band exaltata. 



Second abdominal seg- 

 ment with one median, 

 round, whitish spot, third 

 and fourth segment with a 

 white band cloantha. 



Second abdominal seg- 

 ment with a moderately 

 small, round, median spot, 

 and on each side of it a fla- 

 vescent, pubescent patch, 

 third and fourth segments 

 banded . hecuba. 



Female unknown. 



24 



