620 Mr. R. E. Turner on Fossorial IJymenoplera, 



Scolia patara, Cam. 

 Sculia patara, Cam. Joiirn. Straits Br. Asiat. Soc. xxxvii. p. 83 (1902). 



Scolia thyatira, Cam. I. c. p. 138 (1902). S ■ 



S. patara differs from thyatira, as far as I can see, only 

 in the absence of the small yellow marks at the base of 

 the clypeus. The idea of founding a species on such a 

 distinction in this group without the amplest evidence is 

 unreasonable. The difference in the neuration at the apex 

 of the radial cell noticed by Cameron is only imaginary. 

 I have seen a specimen of each labelled " type " by 

 Cameron himself in the National Collection. I consider 

 that descriptions of male Scoliinge, where the female is 

 unknown, are seldom useful, and should only be published 

 after comparison of long series, if at all. I must also 

 protest against the very objectionable habits of some authors 

 as regards types ; there should be one specimen only 

 marked as the type of a species, and not every specimen 

 which has been seen by tlie author. The commercial 

 value of a "type " is unfortunately the cause of much rash 

 and unscientific description and of lax habits in the 

 marking of types. 



Scolia wahlbergii, Sauss. 



Lacosi waMberf/i, Sauss. Stett. ent. Zeit. xx. p. 183 (1859). 9 • 

 Scolia wahlbergi, Sauss. et Sichel Cat. spec. gen. Scolia, p. 94 

 (1864). 2- 



($ . Niger, punctaius, albo-pilosus ; clypeo macula obliqua utrinque, 

 orbite exteriore anguste, interiore sub emarginatione oculorum 

 flavis ; flagello auraiitiaco ; alis fuseo-violaceis, abdomiue iri- 

 descenti. 



Long, 14 mm. 



(^ . Clypeus with a few large punctures, broadly truncate at 

 the apex; interantennal prominence transverse at the apex, 

 with a low longitudinal carina, closely and finely punctured ; 

 vertex sparsely punctured, a smooth space below the anterior 

 ocellus. Antennae about as long as the head, thorax, and 

 median segment combined. Thorax very closely but not 

 coarsely punctured ; median segment widely and shallowly 

 emarginate posteriorly. First abdominal segment almost as 

 broad as the second, much broader than long, broadly 

 rounded at the base, with a minute and very short carina in 

 the middle at the base. The three anal spines are long. 

 The abdomen is less closely punctured than the thorax, the 

 segments are clothed with white pubescence, thinly on the 



