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VII. Descriptions of two new Species of Exotic Hymenop- 

 tera. By Frederick Smith, Esq. 



[Read August 6th, 1849.] 



Family VESPID.E, Leach. 



Genus Paragia, Shuck. 

 The genus Paragia was established by Mr. W. E. Shuckard, in 

 the second volume of the Transactions of the Entomological So- 

 ciety, for the reception of an insect possessing several remarkable 

 exceptions to the usual characteristics of the family to which it 

 belongs. It was suggested in the paper referred to that these 

 insects were probably social ; but I am not inclined to adopt that 

 opinion. Of one of the species described, I am fortunate in hav- 

 ing an opportunity of describing both sexes, and these are not 

 characterized by the usual disparity observable in opposite sexes 

 of social species. I should be inclined to place this genus in close 

 proximity to the genus Abispa, also a native of New Holland. 

 The second species so closely resembles an Odynerus, that it was 

 only upon a careful examination of that genus at the British Mu- 

 seum that I detected it. I have named it in reference to its de- 

 ceptive appearance. 



Sp. 1. Paragia tricolor. (Pi. V. fig. 1). 



Fern, (length 10 lines). Black, opaque, the clypeus entire, 

 having a few deep punctures on its apical margin ; the mandibles 

 robust, tridentate. Thorax ; a bell-shaped impression on the disk 

 of the thorax, with a central longitudinal line reaching to the pro- 

 thorax, a short smooth impression on each side over the tegulae, a 

 narrow yellow fascia on the margin of the prothorax ; the scutel- 

 lum very prominent, subquadrate; the wings dark brown, paler 

 towards their apical margins, and also the basal portion of the 

 externo-medial cell ; the claws ferruginous. Abdomen of a violet 

 blue, finely and closely punctured, an angular yellow macula on 

 the lateral apical margin of the basal segment. The four follow- 

 ing segments have a narrow yellow marginal fascia ; beneath the 

 second, third and fourth segments have a broad marginal fascia. 



Male (length 9 lines). Black; the clypeus and scape of the 

 antennae in front yellow ; a narrow interrupted fascia of the same 

 colour on the margin of the prothorax ; the disk of the thorax 

 sculptured as in the female, the wings and legs as in the opposite 



