Species of Fossorial Hymcnoptera from Africa. 739 



Type in B. M. 



Allied to ametalla, Turn., and asmarensis, Turn., but 

 the first abdominal segment is distinctly shorter and more 

 robust. In ametalla there is no distinct pygidial area, and 

 in asmarensis it is less clearly defined and marked with a 

 very strong longitudinal carina. 



Sub-family TIPHIINAE. 

 Tiphia tegularis, sp. n. 



9 . Nigra, robusta, crasse sed baud dense punctata ; antennis 

 dimidio basali fulvo-brunneis ; alis fusco-caeruleis ; tegulis maximis, 

 elongatis ; segmento mediano brevi ; eegmento dorsali primo basi 

 cai'inato. 



(J , Feminae simillimns. 



Long. 5, 15 mm. ; ^ , 13 mm. 



$ . Mandibles with a very ill-defined blunt tooth on the inner 

 margin near the apex. Clypeus short, sparsely punctured, narrowly 

 and shallowly emarginate at the apex. Antennae very stout, not 

 strongly curved, the three basal joints of the flagellum broader than 

 long, the scape short and stout, the apical joint of the flagellum 

 elongate conical, almost pointed, longer than the penultimate. Head 

 and thorax shining, coarsely but not very closely punctured ; tlie 

 posterior margin of the pronotum narrowly smooth ; dorsulum very 

 sparsely punctured. Tegulae large and long, reaching beyond the 

 middle of the scutellum, the base smooth and shining, the apex sub- 

 opaque and punctured. Median segment more than twice as broad 

 as long, scarcely longer than the scutellum, opaque, the three carinae 

 in the middle strongly marked, the middle one not reaching the 

 apex, the outer ones nearly parallel, a little further apart in the 

 middle than at the extremities, the sides and apex of the segment 

 distinctly margined, the sides of the segment finely striated. 

 Abdomen strongly but not closely punctured; the first segment 

 broadly truncated at the base, with a strong, transverse, basal 

 carina; second segment with a broad, transverse, longitudinally 

 striated groove at the base ; sixth dorsal segment closely punctured 

 at the base, the puncture3 more or less confluent longitudinally, 

 smooth and broadly roiinded at the apex ; second ventral segment 

 very sparsely punctured. Spur of posterior tibia half as long as 

 the basal joint of the posterior tarsus. Second recurrent nervure 

 received just before two-thirds from the base of the second cubital 

 cell. The tarsal ungues are bifid and also have a blunt lobe near the 

 base. The posterior margin of the pronotum is broadly and almost 

 regularly arched, but rather more deeply indented in the middle. 



TRANS. ENT. SOC. LOND. 1912. — PART IV. (FEB.) 3 D 



