258 sphegidtE. 



quite reaching the level of the anterior ocellus, the cheeks behind 

 the eyes with a prominent tubercle ; pronotum rising into a slight 

 cone-shaped elevation posteriorly, with anteriorly a medial longi- 

 tudinal furrow and a few obscure transverse wrinkles ; median 

 segment from above quadrate, with nine longitudinal carina?, the 

 medial and the next on each side not reaching the truncated 

 posterior portion of the segment, the 3rd and 4th carinse (counting 

 from the middle on each side) very close together; the space 

 between the carinse transversely striate ; the tubercles at the 

 lateral posterior angles of the segment small ; legs thin and long, 

 the subapical joint of the tarsi short, produced at the sides into 

 angular points ; claws uuidcntate ; abdomen smooth, polished ; 

 dorsal plate of 2nd segment nearly as wide as long. Metallic 

 blue, in places with a greenish tint ; antennae and tarsi black ; 

 posterior femora red ; wings hyaline, slightly fuscescent. 



Hah. Sikhim ; Chinese frontier. § . Length 16-17 ; exp. 

 20 mm. 



A rare species : two specimens in the British Museum from 

 the Chinese frontier, which I somewhat doubtfully identify as 

 this species, are all I have seen. 



480. Ampulex crudelis, n. sp. 



§ . Head neai-ly smooth, with a few scattered punctures on the 

 front ; thorax and abdomen smooth, impunctate ; clypeus strongly 

 carinate, the carina reaching nearly to the anterior ocellus ; at 

 apex the clypeus is dentate on each side of the carina : from the 

 base of each antenna an irregular short carina diverging slightly 

 outwards goes up as high as about the 

 middle of the inner orbits ; the raised 

 portion of the pronotum gibbous at the 

 back and marked with a medial short 

 slight keel ; median segment narrowed 

 posteriorly and truncate, with one short 

 longitudinal carina in the middle, two 

 short convergent carinse, one on each 

 side of the medial one, two other outer 

 ■pj gg ones running to the lateral angles of 



Ampulex crudelis, §. 1. an irregularly enclosed space on the 

 verge of the truncation, aud three more 

 on each side beyond these and partially on the tlanks of the 

 segment ; the space or hollows between these carinae with trans- 

 verse, raised, fine ridges, somewhat obsolete between the 2nd and 

 3rd carinae on each side ; posterior lateral angles of the median 

 segment with two small tubercles, one above the other ; legs 

 stout, the posterior tibiae impunctate ; abdomen flat above, the 

 basal segment constricted at apex, the 2nd segment not quite so 

 broad as long, the apical segment strongly compressed. Shining 

 brilliant metallic blue ; the anterior tibiae and posterior four femora 

 red ; antennae and tarsi dull black ; wings strongly infuscate on 



