ji06 MEUOIES OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. 



Genus ARESSIDA Cameron. 



1. ARESSIDA ANNULICORNIS Cameron. Female. Genotype. 



Length to end of ovij)Ositor, 12 mm. 



Dark bronzy red tinged with green; on top, the pleurae and sternum blue, more or 

 less tinged with indigo above, the upper part of the meso- and the metapleurae purple, the 

 basal four dorsal segments of the abdomen fiery red; the apical, the sides and ventral sur- 

 face dark purple; the sides of the second to sixth above with emerald green spots; that 

 on the fourth longish, oval, extending from the top to the bottom, much larger than the 

 others; these spots are densely covered with silvery pubescence. Legs red, coxse to near the 

 ai)ex blue, tinged with violaceous, hind coxsa with a fiery red spot on the apex above; apex 

 of the fourth front femora, the hinder for the greater part and the base of the tibia;, dark 

 bronzy green and blue; knees pale testaceous. Wings hyaline, venation dark fuscous; a 

 longish pyriform cloud at the end of the submarginal vein and touching it, the narrowed 

 end in front; a smaller transverse, triangular cloud beyond it, a much larger cloud at and 

 touching the stigmal vein, narrow at it, commencing near the base and extending a little 

 beyond its apex; thence it becomes gradually roundly widened, more so at the base than at 

 the ajjex. Head behind the ocelli with fine, close, rounded transverse strise, below with 

 stronger longitudinal strife, the striaj more or less obliqued. Malar space as long as the 

 eyes; a fine furrow down its center. Eyes converging above, separated there by the length 

 of the fifth antennal joint. Anterior ocelhis larger and ])aler than the others and separated 

 from them by double the distance these are from each other. Pro- and mesonotum and 

 scutellum closely covered with roundly curved strise; tliose on the base of the pronotum stronger 

 and more widely separated than on the rest; apex of scutellum with a rounded projecting 

 border. Metanotum smooth, the centre with stout diverging stria), the outer longer than the 

 inner ; the sides densely covered witli silvery pubescence. Abdomen shining, smooth ; the 

 basal two segments larger than the others; not much longer than wide. Third and fifth 

 longer than wide, sixth still longer, of equal width, tubular; beyond it is a much longer 

 segment aboAe and closely pressed to the ovipositor, which is broad, of equal width and 

 [u-ojects one third of its length beyond it. Smooth keel down center of pronotimi; its apex 

 becomes gradu.ally widened from tlie middle. Scutellum obliquely narrowed at the base, which 

 is transverse and one fourth the width of the broadly rounded apex. Mesopleuras above the 

 furrow closely, regularly reticulated, below vertically, more or less obliquely striated, as are 

 also the nietapleura\ tlie l>aKiil (and larger) part more strongly so. Parapsidal furrows 

 distinct, curved. The fore and posterior femora are thickened, the anterior with a curved 

 incision on the lower part of apex; the middle thinner and narrowed at the apex. There are 

 some longish, scattered white, weak spines on the hind tibiie; the tarsi have shorter and more 

 numerous spines; the shorter spur of tlie liiud tibia? is longer than the width of the apex of 

 tibia;. 



Bahltul : Gosfiu-d, Now South Wales. 



Til lie: Query. 



2. ARESSIDA NIGRICORNIS Cameron. 

 - ' Length, 6 ; terebra, 2 mm. 



Belmore, near Sydney, N.S. Wales (F. Taylor)." 

 The difference between this species and .-1. inniuUcornis may be shown thus: — 



AutennsB entirely black, the knees not pale, the basal cloud in fore wings of equal width, 

 the apical not roundly curved and narrow, its base oblique; the ujijicr part of ovipositor 

 shorter than the preceding two segments united, longer than the ai>ex of the projecting 

 lower part . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iiigricornis. 



