416 



INSECTS ABKOAD. 



deep punctures which increase the ricli depth of colour. One 

 specimen in the British Museum has the abdomen green. The 

 abdomen is tipped with a horny phite cut deeply into four 

 bold teeth. 



Besides the Australian specimens there are many others from 

 different parts of the world, such as Ceylon, China, the Eastern 

 Archipelago, Madagascar, Brazil, Southern Africa, &c. These 

 are smaller than the Australian specimens, and, as a rule, the 

 abdomen is green instead of blue. The Australian specimens 

 are much larger than any other of the ChrysididiB, and it is just 

 possible that they may prove to be a distinct species. As to 

 the prey of this insect, little if anything seems to be known 

 about it. But it is always difficult to identify the particular 

 species of insect on which any particular Chrysis is parasitic — 

 the latter seldom restricting itself to any one species, and being 

 at one time parasitic on a bee, and at another on a wasp. Mr. 

 F. Smith suggests that the reason for this indifference is that 

 the larva of the Chrysis always feeds upon some other larva, 

 and that there is little distinction between the larva of a bee 

 and that of a wasp. 



The insect called Chrysis ocidata is also described by Fabricius. 



It is an Asiatic species, and is subject to great variation of 



, I colour — some specimens being 



wholly green, while others 

 are entirely blue ; and in 

 either case the surface has 

 a gloss of the second colour, 

 green being glossed with blue, 

 and blue with green. On 

 either side of the abdomen 

 is a single eye-like spot of 

 glowing, ruddy gold, redder 

 in the middle, and with an 



outer ring of yellow. Tliis eye-like spot has gained for the 



insect the specific title of ocvlata. The abdomen is tipped with 



six teeth. 



^"3. 



Fig. 208.— Chrysis oculata. 

 (Emerald green.) 



