.1 Contribution to the Knowledge of South African Miitilhdes. 373 



MUTILLA PEBSEPHONE, Per., 



Annals S. Afric. Museum, i., p. 69. 



3 . Black, covered with dense black hairs, second segment of 

 abdomen red, with the apical part infuscate ; head very deeply and 

 closely foveolato-punctate, more than twice as broad as long, outer 

 sides narrowed diagonally, eyes very large, deeply emarginate ; 

 thorax closely foveolato-punctate, metathorax scrobiculate, prothorax 

 very narrow in the median part, mesothorax reaching very far for- 

 ward, quadri-canaliculate longitudinally in the centre, and with a 

 median longitudinal raised line extending from base to apex ; the 

 grooves short, interrupted at some distance from the apex ; tegulae 

 very dark brown, wings deep fuscous, anterior ones with a steel-blue 

 tinge or steel-blue, scutellum produced behind in an erect, con- 

 spicuous tooth, metathorax with a sharp supra-lateral carina on each 

 side, and a canaliculated one in the centre reaching from base to 

 apex ; first abdominal segment moderately long, gradually ampliated 

 from the base to the apex, where it is not narrower than the base of 

 the second one, which is as broad as long, and covered on the sides 

 and base with round punctures, deep but not closely set, and with 

 the intervals smooth, but the central part is quite smooth, and has 

 a median longitudinal line ; the first segment is covered with mode- 

 rately deep punctures, while the others are finely punctured ; ventral 

 carina of first segment not much developed, slightly toothed at base ; 

 tibiaa without spines, spurs whitish. Length 12-15^ mm. 



In an example from Malvern (Natal) taken in coitu, the $ has a 

 very well-defined white pubescent band broadly interrupted in the 

 centre on the third abdominal segment of the same shape and size 

 as that of the ? . In two examples from Zambesia one of them 

 also caught in coitu, this band is altogether wanting. 



Hab. Natal (Malvern), C. N. Barker ; Zambesia (Salisbury), 

 G. A. K. Marshall. 



Synopsis of Males of the Group o/M. erinnys, Per., and 

 M. angulata, Sm. 



Body black, with the thorax totally or partly red, scutellum 

 quadrate, a little emarginate behind in the centre, and with the 

 outer angles produced in a horizontal tooth ; abdomen sessile, with 

 two white patches on the first segment, and one or two always more 

 or less interrupted in the centre on the second or third segments, or 

 on both ; fore-wings with two cubital cells. 



