270 SYEPHIDA. 



here and there ; a narrow black line from lower corner of eye to 

 mouth-tip. A reddish irregular spot above base of antennae; 

 latter brownish-orange, normal, with orange arista. Mouth- 

 opening, proboscis and palpi black. In § , frons with parallel 

 sides for upper half from vertex, thence gradually widening ; at 

 greatest width over one-third width of head, the face gradually 

 narrowing ; in all else as in cJ . Thorax : anterior margin of 

 dorsum rather broadly, humeri and area immediately below them, 

 orange-vellow with dense short concolorous pubescence. Kest of 

 thorax and scutellum rather dull black with sparse short yellow 

 pubescence. Some stiff black hairs along sides of dorsum in 

 region of wing-base : pleurae with sparse black hairs here and 

 there. Scutellum concolorous, with similar pubescence, anterior 

 margin narrowly and very conspicuously yellow. Abdomen rather 

 dull black ; 2nd segment with a narrow brownish-orange band 

 behind base, narrowly interrupted in middle and not reaching 

 «ide margins ; a similar, barely perceptible, band on 3rd segment; 

 4th segment with about apical third brownish-orange. Pubes- 

 cence of abdomen short and dense, though inconspicuous: blackish- 

 brown, but that on hind margins of 2nd and 3rd segments and 

 apical third of 4th segment is rather longer and more depressed 

 and shining bronze-brown, appearing almost like an additional 

 transverse band on each of tfiese segments. Genitalia concealed, 

 rather large, globular, brownish-orange with concolorous pubes- 

 cence. Venter black, pubescent, indistinctly paler at emargiua- 

 tioiis of segments and at tip. Legs practically black, but front 

 femora dark brown except for a black elongate spot on lower side 

 at base ; posterior femora on apical half, middle femora on inner 

 side also, and posterior tibiae, all more or less tinged with dark 

 mahogany-brown. Pubescence of legs black, moderately dense 

 on femora but longer behind ; middle tibiae with dense long 

 pubescence on inner and hinder sides, and hind tibiae with similar 

 pubescence on inner side only. Anterior pulvilli brownish- 

 orange ; all tarsi with very short brownish-orange pubescence. 

 Wings yellowish-grey ; anterior half dark brown, fading a little 

 distally ; the colour very sharply delimited hindwards at the vena 

 spuria^ the space between this vein and the 5th vein absolutely 

 and conspicuously hyaline as far as the anterior cross-vein. 

 5th vein slightly clouded with yellowish-brown ; halteres brown. 



Leugih, 20-26 mm. ; expanse of wings 42 mm. 



Described from 1 S 6 and a unique $ from above Tura, Garo 

 Hills, Assam, 3500-3900 ft., 15. vii-30. viii. 1917 (Kemj)). In the 

 Indian Museum. 



This very handsome hornet-like species closely resembles 

 M. gigas, Macq., but the thick bright orange-yellow band behind 

 the eyes and the conspicuously elevated vertex at once distinguish 

 it, whilst the hyaline space in the 2nd basal cell is also very 

 characteristic. There are several other differences which, how- 

 ever, are not so striking. 



