On a new Species of Pepsis. 413 



Hymenoptera. By Rowland E. Turner. 



Family Psammocharidae. 



Subfamily Pep sin m. 



Pepsis toppini, R. E. Turner, sp. n. 



Nigrn, sparse nigro-pilosn ; flagello aurantiaco, articulo primo, 

 secundoque dimidio basali nigris ; alis pallide flavis, veuis ferru- 

 gineis. 



Long. 52 mm. 



Clypous broadly and shallowly emarginate at the apex. 

 Second joint of the flagellum about five times as long as 

 thick ; third more than two-and-a-half times as long as thick. 

 Eyes separated on the vertex by a distance equal to the 

 length of the second joint of the flagellum ; a strong trans- 

 verse ridge on the vertex behind the ocellar space. Pro- 

 notum broadly rounded at the anterior angles ; mesonotum 

 with a low median carina on the posterior half. Median 

 segment coarsely transversely striated, rather thickly covered 

 with long black hairs, convex in the middle, the carina sepa- 

 rating the horizontal and vertical portions indistinct except 

 in the middle, the lateral basal tubercles well developed but 

 blunt, the tubercles at the apical angles of the horizontal 

 area strongly developed, the horizontal area nearly as long 

 as the width at the base. Abdomen elongate-ovate. Tarsal 

 ungues nearly as long as the third joint of the hind tarsi, 

 inner spur of the hind tibiae about one-quarter of the length 

 of the basal joint of the hind tarsi. Radial margin of the 

 third cubital cell more than half as long again as the second 

 transverse cubital ncrvure. 



Hab. Peru-Bolivian boundary, between lat. 11° 30' S. and 

 14° 15' S., long. 69° to 69° 30' W. ; May-November (Capt. 

 H. S. Toppin). 



This is very near the Mexican Pepsis optima, Sm., but 

 differs in the greater distance between the eyes, the more 

 strongly developed ridge on the vertex, the greater develop- 

 ment of the tubercles of the median segment, the longer 

 radial margin of the third cubital cell, and the shorter tarsal 

 ungues. There are five long setae at the base of the hind 

 tarsal ungues in optima and four in toppini. 



The species is named after its discoverer, Captain Toppin, 

 who fell in the battle of the Aisne. 



Presented to the British Museum. 

 Ann. & Mil;!. N. Hist. Ser. S. Vol. xvi. 29 



