244 sphegidjE. 



abdomen with a brilliant polish, the head and thorax with a very 

 few nearly obsolete shallow punctures ; head large, much broader 

 than the thorax ; the clypeus vertically very narrow, transverse, 

 slightly convex in the middle ; the base of the antennae planted 

 in a deep hollow above the clypeus, above which the front is 

 somewhat closely punctured and studded with some scattered 

 long hairs ; pronotum deeply notched in the middle ; median 

 segment long, with very little slope posteriorly, the apex roundly 

 truncate, every« here closely transversely striate ; legs long, the 

 tibisB and tarsi spiuose, the spines short and stout ; abdomen 

 petiolate, the petiole short. Head, thorax, and legs dull brick-red, 

 the median segment above with a brilliant golden coppery lustre, 

 the space round the ocelli black ; the abdomen brilliant purplish 

 blue, the petiole slightly reddish ; wings reddish yellow, the apex of 

 the fore and apex and posterior margin of the hind wing broadly 

 fuscous with a purple effulgence. 



c? similar, but smaller and slighter, the clypeus triangular. 



Yar. onelanosoma, Smith, is similar in sculpture, but has only 

 the clypeus, the mandibles, the scape, and four or five of the 

 basal joints of the flagellum of the antennae red, or the insect 

 may be wholly black ; the wings are also a lighter and brighter 

 yellow. 



Ilab. Northern and Western India, extending into iVfghanistan, 

 Burma, and Tenasserioi in the East. $ . Length 24-30 ; exp. 45- 

 48 mm. J • Lenglh 1 8-24 ; exp. 40-46 mm. 



(GrEOTJP II. Claws hidentate.) 



457. Sphex fulvo-hirtus, JBinffh. Jour. Bomb. ^\ H. Soc. v, 1890, 



p. 242, 2 ; w^- 'piii; 1893, p. 379, pi. i, Hg. 8, $ . 



2 <S . Head pruinose and pubescent anteriorly ; vertex and 

 thorax in front very closely and finely punctured ; median seg- 

 ment long, roundly truncate posteriorly, and densely pubescent : 

 abdomen smooth, opaque ; scutellum prominent, with a slight 

 shallow^ longitudinal furrow ; postscutellum bituberculate. Black, 

 with black pubescence ; the clypeus, face at the sides, and pro- 

 notum anteriorly, with silvery pile : median segment above with 

 long, thick, yellow pubescence : wings flavo-hyaline, paler along 

 the apical margins ; nervures testaceous, tegulae black. 



Hab. Ceylon; Loo Choo Islands. 5 . Length 27; exj). 54 mm. 

 iS ■ Length 25 ; exp, 48 mm. 



458. Sphex nivosus. 



Harpactopus nivosus, Smith, Cat. iv, p. 265, 5 . 



Sphex nivosa, Cam. Mem. Manch. L. Ph. Soc. (4) ii, 1889, p. 106. 



$ . Head, thorax, legs, petiole, and basal segment of abdomen 

 densely pilose, second and following segments of the abdomen 

 smooth and shining ; clypeus broad, very slightly convex, anterior 



