the genus Odynervs occurring in the Ethiopian Region. 501 



(8000 ft.) 17. ii. 1912 (Captain J. Fraser), 1 $. Resembles 

 0. (A.) neuvillei, Buyss., but differs from it in having only 

 two yellow abdominal fasciae. 



The following species were included as belonging to 

 this subgenus in Gen. Insectorum (Vespidae) ; two of 

 them are referable to the genus Labus and the third to 

 Rhynchalastor. 



Rhy?ichalastor xanthosoma (Schletterer). 



Odynerus (Ancistrocerus) xanthosoma, Schletterer. Ann. 

 Soc. Ent. Belg., vol. 35, p. 24 (1891). 



Through the kindness of Dr. Severin I examined the type 

 of this species. It is an undoubted Rhynchalastor, nearly 

 related to R. fuscipennis, M. -Waldo. 



In his recent paper on Odynerus (Soc. Entom. xxix,No. 14, 

 p. 73, 1914) Schulthess describes 0. (Stenodynerus) ferru- 

 gineus var. mafiensis, which he says is identical with 

 Rhynchalastor fuscipennis, at the same time stating that 

 there is an evanescent fourth joint in the labial palpi. 

 On a further close examination I am inclined to agree 

 with him. There remain, however, two characters which 

 are of sufficient importance to render the genus valid, viz. 

 the acute apex to the clypeus and the petiolate second 

 cubital cell. 



In any case, if the var. mafiensis is considered synony- 

 mous with R. fuscipennis (1910), why is a new varietal 

 name selected ? Finally, it would seem that on structural 

 characters of the clypeus this variety was worthy of specific 

 rank, since in the type form the clypeus is diagnosed 

 as follows : " clypei truncatura apicalis aeque longa ac 

 articulus 3 antennarum," and in the variety mafiensis 

 " clypeo (^ et $ apice acuto, margine apicali fere nullo." 



Labus bisuturalis (Sauss.). 



Odynerus bisuturalis, Sauss. Et. fam. Vesp. i, p. 127 

 (1852) ^. 



Through the kindness of Prof. Poulton I have been able 

 to examine the type of this species from the Westwood 

 Collection in the Hope Department of the Oxford Museum. 

 It is an undoubted Labus, a genus created by Saussure in 

 1867 for the reception of two species caught during the 

 cruise of the No vara, in Ceylon and Java respectively. 



