HYMENOPTERA. 251 



puncturing being stronger and very close ; the metathorax is 

 proportionally shorter. In the present species the first recur- 

 rent nervure unites with the second transverse cubital nervure, 

 which is not the case in S. argentata ; the colouring of the wings 

 is the same in both species. 



48. SPHEX OBSCURELLA. 



Female. Length 8 lines. Black : the face densely clothed 

 with silvery pubescence ; the vertex shining, with scattered punc- 

 tures, and having, as well as the cheeks, a long sparing pale 

 yellowish-white pubescence ; the thorax has a similar pubescence 

 to the head, but it is more dense ; the coxae and femora are also 

 pubescent ; the wings hyaline, with a fuscous cloud at the apex 

 of the anterior pair ; the nervures fusco-ferruginous ; the second 

 submarginal cell subquadrate, rather longer than broad, receiving 

 the first recurrent nervure about one-fourth from its apex, the 

 third submarginal cell slightly restricted towards the marginal. 

 Abdomen covered with a fine short silky pile ; the petiole pubes- 

 cent, nearly as long as the first and second segments. 



The male closely resembles the female, but is more thickly 

 pubescent, and the abdomen is more densely clothed with silky 

 pile. 

 Hab. Van Diemen's Land. (Coll. F. Smith.) 



This species most closely resembles S. canescens, but is at once 

 distinguished by the form of the submarginal cells and by having 

 a longer petiole. 



49. SPHEX GLOBOSA. B.M. 



Female. Length 7 lines. Black : the head and thorax opake; 

 the face covered with pale golden pubescence, leaving an angular 

 denuded space on the clypeus, which is shining and has a few 

 scattered punctures ; the mandibles ferruginous, their apex black ; 

 the cheeks, thorax and legs have a short silky cinereous pile, the 

 two former have also a thinly scattered pale glittering pubescence; 

 the wings hyaline, their nervures rufo-fuscous ; the mesothorax 

 has a central abbreviated shallow groove anteriorly, and a slight 

 scratch on each side over the tegulse ; the scutellum prominent, 

 emarginate in the middle; the metathorax finely transversely 

 rugose ; the anterior tarsi strongly ciliated outside, the claws 

 ferruginous. The petiole of the abdomen nearly as long as the 

 two basal segments ; the abdomen is globose and very smooth 

 and shining, the base and the sides with short silvery-white 

 pubescence ; the apical margins of the segments narrowly rufo- 

 ptceous. 



