A Contribution to the Knowledge of South African Mutillidce. 377 



verse, straight laterally with the posterior angles produced in a 

 spine, and the posterior margin slightly emarginate in the centre, 

 fringed with very long greyish and white hairs ; metathorax with 

 the sides parallel, abruptly truncate behind, and with the posterior 

 angles sharp and distinctly aculeate; abdomen short, sub-sessile, first 

 segment ampliated suddenly from near the base, where it is slightly 

 dentate on each side, as broad at apex as the base of the second one, 

 which is ampliated and reaches its greatest width at some distance 

 from the base, and is longer than broad ; both these segments are 

 covered with broad punctures somewhat elongated and with the 

 intervals nearly smooth, the other segments are minutely punctured ; 

 ventral carina of the first segment laminate, truncate at both ends, 

 second segment not carinate in the centre ; tibias not spinose, spurs 

 white. Length 15 mm. 



Hab. Zambesia (Salisbury, Umsheki Eiver). G. A. K. Marshall. 



MUTILLA TAUBICEPS, Kohl, 



Verb. Zool. Bot. Ges. Wien, xxxii., 1882, p. 484, pi. 23, ff. 15 and 16. 



3' Black with the pro- and mesothorax and also the scutellum 

 dull red, posterior part of the head rufescent ; head large, quadrate, 

 closely aciculate, eyes elongate, not emarginate ; mandibles long, 

 falcate and trifid at tip ; antennae sub-filiform ; mesothorax with two 

 conspicuous longitudinal median grooves, scutellum convex, rounded, 

 metathorax sloping behind, rounded laterally and foveate ; abdomen 

 pyriform, conical from the base of the second segment, first segment 

 short, conical, and with a sharp spine on each side of the base and 

 without any ventral carina ; the segments are clothed with long 

 dense hairs, black above, greyish underneath ; intermediate and 

 posterior tibiae without spines ; wings slightly fuscous. Length 

 9 mm. 



In this species the extraordinary forcipate shape of the mandibles, 

 which are trifid at tip, is the same in both sexes. 



Captured by Dr. H. Brauns at Sunday's Kiver, Uitenhage District, 

 Cape Colony. 



