Hymeiioptera. 171 



EpYRIS APTERUS, sp. 710V. 



Niger, nlatus; t ho race riifo, nigro inaculato ; basi flagello 

 antennariiin, majidibulis, geniciilis tarsisque, rufo-tcstaceis, 

 capite sparse punctato, nitido ; metaitoto tricarinato. Long, 

 fere 5 mm. 



Hah. Gibraltar (/. / HW/'tv, R.N.). 



First joint of antennct curved, and thickened towards 

 the apex; second a little longer than the third, which is 

 somewhat longer than the fourth. Head shining, sparsely 

 pilose; marked all over with shallow, distinctly separated 

 punctures; eyes oblong, placed almost in the centre. 

 Thorax shining, obsoletely punctured ; the prothorax quad- 

 rate, the front rounded ; mesonotum and scutellum almost 

 impunctate; parapsidal furrows distinct, but shallow and 

 narrow; metanotum impunctate, the centre three-keeled, 

 the central keel straight, the lateral converging towards the 

 apex, which is almost transverse, but, if anything, retreating 

 in the centre. Abdomen shining, the apex bearing stiff 

 white hairs. The thorax is red, except the prosternum, an 

 irregular splash in the centre above, the mesopleura^ in 

 front, the metanotum, except the central keeled part and 

 more or less of the metapleurae. The legs are covered with 

 stiff white hairs. There are no wings. 



In general coloration this species agrees closely with 

 E. Jiispanicus, but the second joint of the antennae being 

 longer than the third, the head only slightly punctured^ 

 the thorax scarcely punctured, the pronotum not furrowed 

 in the centre, and the metanotum, only having three keels^ 

 readily separate it. 



The complete absence of wings may make the generic 

 position of E. apterus a little doubtful; but the fact that 

 E. Jiispanicus shows a tendency to losing the wings, and 

 the complete parapsidal furrows leaves no doubt in my 

 mind that it is a true Epyris. 



