SUMMARY OF ACULEATE HYMENOPTEEA, 1874 — 76, 65 



One of our rarest species of Fossorial Hymenoptera is the 

 Astata stigma of Panzer. I was fortunate in first discovering 

 it in this country, at VVeybridge, in 1845, when I captured 

 two females ; ten years subsequently I took another pair at 

 Deal; and in 1875 I took three more females at Barmouth, 

 North Wales : all occurring in the month of August. Last 

 summer Mr. Edward Saunders took two males near Chobham. 

 This species of Astata is very like TacJiyles powpiliformis, 

 the size and colouring of the two insects being the same : the 

 different neuration of the anterior wings would separate them. 

 The vertex oi' Astata is convex, smooth, and shining, and has 

 three distinct ocelli : the male has large approximate eyes 

 that occupy the larger part of the head ; it has also a trans- 

 verse white spot above the insertion of the antenna?. 



Oxybelus miicronatus, an exceedingly rare and local 

 species, was taken by myself in August, 1875, at Barmouth : 

 its previous known localities are sandy spots near Bristol, 

 Braunton Burrows, and Deal. Of the genus Oxybelus there 

 are four species described, for the first time, in Shuckard's 

 * Fossorial Hymenoptera,' in 1837, all supposed to have been 

 taken in Devonshire by Dr. Leach, the types being in the 

 British Museum: not a specimen of any of these has been 

 subsequently taken, neither have I seen one in any collection 

 of European Hymenoptera. A fifth species stood in the 

 same category, until Mr, Samuel Stevens took a specimen in 

 Devonshire. This species, however, O.vigripes, is found on 

 the Continent; but hitherto only the two specimens referred 

 to have been taken in this country. 



One of the rarest British species of the genus Crnhro is 

 C. signatus : a male was taken in Tilgate Forest, by Mr. T, 

 N. Hoey, last August, Only a single example of this insect 

 had, to my knowledge, been ])reviously taken in England: it 

 was captured by Mr. Dossetor in Cline Wood, near Swansey, 

 nearly twenty years ago. In general resemblance this species 

 comes near to C. vagaJnindiis, particularly to those examples 

 that have the yellow bands much interrupted. C. signatus 

 has the enclosed space at the base of the metathorax smooth 

 and shining, and it has a minute tooth near the base of the 

 posterior femora, a little within. The female has not been 

 found in this country, but it is described in my work on the 

 British Fossores from a foreign specimen. 



