536 Col. C. T. Bingham on South African 



This form has a superficial i-esemblance to M. alcyone, 

 Peringuey (suspected by Peringaey to be the ^ of M. 

 exaltata, Smith) in the red-colouring of the thorax which 

 is confined to the dorsal face. In alcyone, however, the 

 basal abdominal segment has an apical whitish patch, the 

 2nd segment a spot or ovate patch in the centre, and the 

 3rd and 4tli segments similarly coloured bands. In ad- 

 dition, the shape of the head and the ventral carina on 

 the basal abdominal segment are quite different. 



19. MUTILLA CRIST AT A, form n. 



Rhodesia: Mashonaland, Salisbury 5000 ft.: Nov. 1903 

 {G. Marshall). 



^ . Totally black and covered with a sparse clothing of erect 

 white hairs which on the abdomen form slight but distinct fringes 

 to the apical margins of the segments ; on the legs the white hairs 

 are rather more dense especially on the outside of the tibiae of the 

 intermediate and posterior legs, the calcaria of which are also white ; 

 wings hyaline at base then gradually infuscate and on the forewings 

 with a sharply marked broad terminal fuscous margin that lias in 

 certain lights a rich purple effulgence. Head broader than long, 

 slightly broader than the thorax in front, vertex behind the ocelli 

 raised into a blunt cone-shaped prominence, eyes oval deeply 

 emarginate, head behind the eyes moderately developed ; mandibles 

 very broad towards the apex, tridentate ; antennae moderately stout, 

 1st joint of the flagellum short, 2nd a little longer, 3rd slightly 

 longer than the 2nd. Thorax moderately long more or less rect- 

 angular, prothorax sharply truncate in front, mesonotum short, 

 convex ; scutelluni longer than broad rounded posteriorly ; median 

 segment roundly oblique and declivous; forewings with two well- 

 marked cubital cells, the 3rd cubital cell faintly traced ; legs slender 

 the tibiae without spines. Abdomen long, the basal segment petio- 

 late at base nodose at apex, the 2nd segment broadest in the middle, 

 the others decreasing gradually to the 7th. Head and thorax closely 

 and very coarsely punctured cribrate ; median segment with six 

 somewhat irregular longitudinal carina, the middle two of which 

 do not extend to the apex, the intervals between the carina coarsely 

 reticulate. Abdomen finely, closely and regularly punctured except 

 on the node of the basal segment where the punctures are large 

 and coarse, ventral carina of this segment very slight trifid towards 

 the apex. 



Length $ VI mm. Exp. 20 mm. 



Described from a single example. 



