TABAICAHIA. — POLISTES. 393 



tarsi sometimes obscurely fulvous white or testaceous; wings 

 slightly fusco-hyaliue and iridescent. 



Hah. Pegu Hills, Burma : Tenasserim (common). $ or g . 

 Lenqth 7-8 ; exp. 16-17 mm. 



This species makes a very large PohihiaAWie nest. It is common 

 on the sand-banks in the "rivers in the hottest time of the day, 

 sitting basking and sucking in the moisture. 



Genus POLISTES. 



Vespa, pt., Linn. Faun. Sitec. p. 418 (1761). 

 Polistes, Latr. Hist. Nat. Ins. xiv, p. 348 (1805). _ 

 Cyclostoma, Kirbj/ S,- Spence, Introd. Ent. 1st ed. ui, p. b3o (IHi'b). 

 Gyrostoma, Kirhj ^' Spence, Introd. Ent. 5th ed. iii, p. 631 (1828;. 



Type, P. gallieus, Linn. 



Eanqe. Both hemispheres. 



Head flat in front, vertex not or scarcely arched ; eyes reniform, 

 rather small, not reaching the base of the mandibles ; ocelli placed 



on the vertex in a long triangle, 

 the posterior two rather close 

 together ; antennae filiform, in 

 the male axx-hed at the apex ; 

 clypeus pentagonal, its anterior 

 margin often roundly angular 

 in the middle ; mandibles short, 

 nearly square, terminated by 4 

 teeth, the inner one often obtuse 

 and somewhat apart from the 

 others. Thorax elongate, the 

 median segment oblique, flat 

 , posteriorly, and more often than 

 Y\g. V22.-PolisteH Sagittarius, ^. ^. J^^ -^ ^^^ Eastern species 



transversely striate, sometimes broadly but deeply grooved down 

 the middle ; legs stout, moderately long, intermediate tibife vvith 

 two spines at apex, claws simple. Wings long, ample ; fore wing 

 with a narrow radial cell acuminate at base and apex, three cubital 

 cells— the 1st very long, the 2nd the smallest, receiving both 

 recurrent nervures and strongly constricted towards the radial cell, 

 the 3rd obliquely quadrate ; the 2nd and 3rd transverse cubital 

 nervures waved. Abdomen pseudosessile, the basal segment 

 narrowed at base, but never transformed into a lengthened petiole 

 as in Icaria, Polyhia, &c. 



Key to the Species. 



A. Mesonotum unmarked. 



a. Abdomen plain, not banded with red or 

 yellow. 

 a'! Of large size. $ . Length 27-30 mm. 

 5. Length 21-24 nmi. Head, thorax, 

 and abdomen plain chestnut-brown . . P. schach, p. 394. 



