252 Mr. E. Saunders' Sij)io2)sis of British 



AsTATA, Lntr. {PL VII, fig. 22). 

 Precis. Caract. Gen. Ins. 

 Eyes in the ^ touching each other on the vertex ; 

 mandibles in both sexes simple externally ; front wings 

 with three submarginal cells, the nerve which separates 

 the 1st and 2nd angulated and slightly spurred at the 

 angle, radial cell appendiculated ; metathorax elongate, 

 finely clathrate or reticulated. Both our British species 

 are found in sandy places, and seem to enjoy the hottest 

 sunshine they can find, basking on the sand. They are 

 very wary and difficult to approach. 



(2) 1. Larger, (J with the forehead unspotted ; J with the 

 thorax strongly punctured ; metathorax in both 

 sexes regularly clathrate . . . . . . • • hoops. 



(1) 2. Smaller, J with a yellow transverse spot on the fore- 

 head ; 2 ^^'i*^^! the thorax scanely punctured; 

 metathorax in Loth sexes very finely reticulated stigma. 



1. hoops, Schr. Ins. Austr. 384. Fig. Smith Foss. Hym. 

 pi. iii. fig. 5. 



Black, shining, three basal segments of the abdomen 

 more or less red. 



^ face covered with silvery hairs ; eyes touching each 

 other on the vertex ; head behind the eyes, prothorax, meso- 

 thorax in front, and metathorax at its base and round the 

 sides, basal segment of the abdomen above and all the 

 segments beneath, with long hairs ; thorax some- 

 what finely punctured ; scutellum smooth and shining, 

 with a central line, and a few large punctures ; meta- 

 thorax finely and regularly clathrate ; body extremely 

 finely reticulated, with a few scattered punctures ; legs 

 black ; posterior tibije inwardly covered with velvety 

 pubescence. 



2 differs in having the eyes remote on the vertex, the 

 thorax and head more shining, with larger scattered 

 punctures. 



The wings in both sexes more or less brown near the 

 apex. 



Length 10—12 mill. 



Hah. — Hampstead, Coombe Wood, Hawley Hants, 

 Isle of Wight, Eeigate, Chobham, Hayling Island, near 

 Lowestoft, and Southwold ; in sandy places. 



