746 ASILID^ 



conspicuous all down the front margin of the sternopleurse, being rather 

 yellowish on its upper part but silvery white (in most lights) on its lower 

 part and especially on the sternoiDleuroe ; the stripe down the hindmargin of 

 the mesopleurae is sharply defined though rather narrow, but widens out on 

 the space below ; back part of the hypopleurse covered with dense pale grey 

 tomentum ; metapleurse with rather dense but less conspicuous brownish 

 yellow tomentum and with some slight brownish yellow pubescence and an 

 indistinct fan of about four long pale yellow hairs ; pleurae without any 

 pubescence except that mentioned above, and a few slight hairs on the stripe 

 down the hindmargin of the mesopleurce ; prothoracic stigma brown but with 

 a bright chestnut raised point above its hind end. Scutellum dusted on the 

 disc but shining black about the margin, and with scarcely any definite pale 

 marginal pubescence ; metanotum dulled by yellowish grey tomentum. 



Abdomen brightly shining black with reddish orange bands or side spots 

 about the ends of the third, fourth, and fifth segments ; the first marking is 

 mainly on each basal corner of the fourth segment but includes just the hind 

 corners of the third, and may extend as a band across the basal third of the 

 fourth segment and narrowly on the hindmargin of the third ; then the hind- 

 margin of the fourth segment may be rather broadly i-eddish orange and the 

 base of the fifth ciuite as broadly or even more so at the sides, while the hind- 

 margin of the fifth segment may be as broadly reddish, and the last three 

 hindmargins may be rather narrowly and inconspicuously orange, and the 

 genitalia have reddish orange markings and underside ; sometimes even the 

 basal corners of the second and third segments are obscurely reddish, while 

 sometimes the reddish orange markings may be reduced to orange spots at the 

 front corners of the fourth (and end of third) segment and not extended 

 dorsally, and less so at the next incisure but vaguely more on the hind- 

 margin. Pubescence sparse and inconspicuous, but about five long pale 

 bristly hairs occur along each side of the hindmargm of the basal segment, 

 and a few thin pale hairs on the sides of the basal segment, and some sparse 

 pubescence down the sides which is longest on the hind halves of the second 

 and third segments, while the fifth to seventh segments bear some depressed 

 dorsal pubescence. Belly with the reddish orange bands and side spots large 

 and conspicuous. Genitalia with a brightly shining black dorsal jilate 

 which bears some reddish markings (which may form a pair of rounded 

 spots) and has the extreme hindmargin reddish and also has its end corners 

 produced into dark reddish points, which are longer than the intermediate 

 pair of rounded pubescent brown lamellae • each lateral plate has a sub- 

 quadrate shining black polished basal portion Avhich extends onwards as a 

 large blunt triangular reddish oi'ange clasper, and these claspers meet below ; 

 other lamellae are bright reddish orange, and the pubescence all about the 

 claspers is long and yellow. 



Legs yellow ; posterior knees narrowly black ; anterior tarsi with the tip 

 of each joint usually brownish, and the last joint blackish except at its base, 

 and the soles of the darkened parts more obviously darkened ; hind femora 

 usually with a broad blackish band (or upper streak, the underside being 

 scarcely darkened) on more than the middle third, and even this leaving 

 sometimes an indefinite dorsal orange line, or in pale specimens the hind 

 femora may be only faintly brownish about the middle ; hind tibiae usually 

 only rather vaguely orange at the base and soon growing blackish until more 

 than the apical half is quite black, but sometimes in pale specimens the tip 

 only remains brownish ; hind tarsi usually blackish dorsally with the base 

 of each joint reddish orange, and with all the underside of the basal joint 

 orange and of the other joints only light brown ; just the tip of the hind 

 tibiae distinctly dilated, and the basal joint of the hind tarsi stout but not 

 conspicuously dilated ; anterior coxae glossed with silvery sheen (when seen 

 from in front), and the front pair bearing rather long drooping white 

 pubescence, of which there is a smaller amount on the middle coxa^ ; hind 

 coxae practically bare ; middle coxaj blackened at the extreme base. Bristles 

 on the legs slight, being hardly more than strong hairs ; front tibiae with 

 four or five small inconspicuous dorsal hairs, three long thin postero-ventral 

 hairs, and three long bristly posterior hairs ; middle tibiiB with two long 

 bristly hairs in front, four behind, and three postero-ventral ; hind tibiae with 



