252 



SPHEGID^. 



curved ; abdomen broad and massive, thinly pruinose. Head, 

 thorax, legs, [)etiole, and basal segment of 

 the abdomen black ; the clypeus and sides 

 of the face with dense sil\ ery pile ; the 

 back of the head, pronotum anteriorly, and 

 median segment with a soft thin greyish 

 pubescence ; the posterior margin of the 

 basal segment of the abdomen and the 

 following segments dull red ; the mandibles 

 massive, black and shining at base, and 

 their apex dull red in the middle ; the 

 wings light fusco-hyaline with a purple 

 effulgence; uervures and tegulse black. 



(S similar, but with a smaller and less 

 massive head and paler wings ; the ante- 

 rior margin of the clypeus is less arched 

 and armed with six teeth. 

 Hah. Sikhim ; Tenasserim ; CeyJon. $ . Length 30 ; exp. 50 mm. 



cJ . Length 29 ; exp. 48 mm. 

 This species is allied to Sphex umhrosus, Christ, but can be 



distinguished at once by the sculpture of the me-dian segment, and 



in the male by the remarkable toothed clypeus. 



Fig. 65. 

 Sphex edax, $ . 



(GrROUP III, Claws tr'identate.) 



472. Sphex viduatus, Christ, Naturg. his. p. 305 ; Kohl, Ann. Natur- 

 hist. Jlofmus. v, lb90, p. 332, ^ J ■ 

 Sphex fervens, Fab?-, (nee Linne) Syst. Ent. p. 346. 

 ? bphex pubescens, Fabr. Ent. iSyst. ii, p. 209. 

 Enodia canescens, Dahlb. Hym. Eur. i. p. 28. 



$ . Head and thorax densely pubescent, punctured under the 

 pubescence, the mesonotum more closely than the head and 

 pronotum, scutellum notched longitudinally ; median segment 



long, abruptly truncate posteriorly, 

 finely transversely striate, above 

 with a very broad shallow groove 

 from base to margin of truncation ; 

 abdomen smooth and shining, curved 

 downwards. Head, thorax, legs, 

 and petiole of abdomen black ; ab- 

 domen red, the pubescence on the 

 head and thorax silvery ; the legs 

 obscurely pruinose ; wings hyaline ; 

 nervures and tegulae dark, some- 

 what testaceous brown, 

 S similar, with a longer petiole. 



Hah. Throughout India ; Ceylon ; China ; Syria ; Egypt ; 

 Gambia; Sierra Leone: Guinea. 2. Length 18-24; exy. J38- 

 44 mm. 6 . Length 16-20; exp. 36-42 mm. 



Fig. 66. — Sphex viduatus, § 



