MECASTYLL'S. 341 



Genus MEGASTYLUS, Schiod. 



Megastylus, Schiodte, Gue"r. Map;. Zool. 1839, Ins. pi. vi. 



Helictes, Haliday, Ann. Xat. Hist, ii, 1839, p. 115. 



Letosha, Cameron, Journ. Bombay Xat. Hist. Soc. 1909, p. 725. 



GENOTYPE, M. cruentata, Schiod. 



Head subtransverse, constricted towards the mouth ; face 

 slightly, and eyes very distinctly, prominent; the subcircular 

 vertex strongly discrete from the occiput ; clypeus arched ; man- 

 dibular teeth slightly unequal ; labrum not exserted. Antennae 

 elongate, setaceous, at least 30-jointed ; scape subglobose ; no 

 flagellar joints emarginate, nor the first shorter than second. 

 Mesothorax elevated, with the notauli weakly impressed ; ineta- 

 thorax usually rectangular, and not perpendicularly truncate at 

 apex ; metanotum not basally areated, nor transversely carinate in 

 the centre. Scutellum convex. Abdomen deplanate and spatulate, 

 not laterally compressed ; basal segment narrow, elongate, with 

 the spiracles slightly before its centre ; terebra very shortly or 

 hardly exserted, straight. AVings distinctly narrow ; areolet 

 entirely wanting ; stigma not abnormally narrow ; nervellus sub- 

 opposite and obsoletely intercepted a little below its centre. 



Range. Palaearctic and Nearctic Kegions. 



This is a widely distributed genus, somewhat rich in species in 

 both hemispheres. .For a long period it was regarded as pertaining 

 to the TRYPHONINJE ; but modern authors seem fairly unanimous 

 in placing it in the PLECTISCINI group of the OPHIONI:JO;, which 1 

 consider erroneous, since the strongly deplanate abdomen and 

 concealed terebra point to affinity with the former subfamily. 

 But, as remarked by Ashmead (Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. 1900, 

 p. 101), the PLECTISCINI, as at present constituted, are scarcely a 

 natural group ; and this is one of its most abnormal genera. The 

 single Indian species at present known was erroneously placed in 

 a new genus by Cameron and appears to bear considerable resem- 

 blance to Mesoleptus albocollaris, Cresson (Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc. 

 1868, p. 100 ; cf. Davis, op. cit. 1897, p. 246) ; the former says 

 respecting it, " the precise affinities of this genus may be left over 

 until its 5 is known. From the position of the abdominal spiracles 

 I refer it, for the present, to the TEYPHONIDJ, tribe MESOLEPTINI," 

 where he had previously relegated true Lissonotce. 



'243. Megastylus longicoxis, Cam. 



Letosha Imigicoxis, Cameron,* Jouru. Bombay Xat. Hist. Soc. 1909, 

 p.7_>5($,asd). 



$ . A somewhat small and very slender species. Head small 

 .and subquadrate, nearly parallel behind the mutilated eyes ; 

 occipital carina very strong ; vertex broad, sparsely punctate, with 

 a few long griseous hairs and a distinct longitudinal sulcus ; frons 

 deplanate and nitidulous ; face glabrous and strongly nitidulous, 



