122 HYMENOPTEllA. 



numerous, about a thousand having been described from the warmer 

 parts of the worhi ; but very few are European, the commonest 

 being Mutilla Europcea, Linn., a black or blue-black insect about 

 half an inch long, Avith a red thorax, and three more or less 

 interrupted white bands on the abdomen. This species frequents 

 sandy places, and is believed to be sometimes at least parasitic 

 in the nests of humble-bees. The species of Mutilla are generally 

 clothed with a beautiful short down, and are mostly of a black 

 colour, often with a red thorax, and the abdomen is frequently 

 adorned with red, white, or golden spots, and is sometimes 

 entirely red or yellow. 



Family X. — Thymidce. 



Female apterous, very stout, mesothorax constricted ; legs very 

 spiny ; femora compressed and dilated ; male slender, winged. 



The insects of this family are almost exclusively confined to 

 Australia and South America, where they are very numerous. 

 They are generally of a black colour, with more or less extended 

 yellow markings. The females are very dissimilar to the males, 

 and are very slightly pubescent in comparison with Mutilla, but 

 their legs are generally much more strongly spined. Their great 

 bloated bodies give them very little resemblance to any other 

 insects, except perhaps to the Oil Beetles {Meloidce). They are 

 probably parasitic insects. 



Family XI. — ScolUdcp. 



Female generally winged ; legs very stout, femora compressed 

 and dilated, tibiae very spinose; antennae stout, shorter than the 

 thorax. 



Although this family is abundant in warm climates, we have 

 only two small species belonging to the genus I'/phia, Fabr., in 

 Britain. They are black, with more or less reddish legs, and 

 measure from a quarter to half an inch in length. But in South 

 Europe we meet with several large and handsome species, one of 

 which, Scolia Ilortormn, Fabr., we have figured; it is black, with 

 two yellow bands on the abdomen. It provisions its nest with 

 the larvae of the large wood-feeding beetle, Orydes Nasicornis, Linn. 

 Scolia Atrata, Fabr., a black species with reddish wings tipped 

 with violet, which is common in the West Indies, is one of the 

 most curious in its habits of any. According to Consul Krug. 



