NYSSON SPINOSUS. 9/ 



male of A. stigma is distinguished by a curved or lunate cream- 

 coloured spot on the front of the head, below the anterior stemma. 

 Onlv three examples have been captured in England : the first I 

 took at Weybridge on the 22nd of August, 1845, the others at 

 Deal during the first week of September 1855. I have received 

 the species from Finland from Dr. Nylander. 



Fam. 6. Nyssonidse, Leach. 



Mandibles not emarginate beneath ; the legs subspinose. 

 Genus 1. NYSSON. 



Crabro, pt., Fabr. Syst. Ent. 373 (1775). 

 Nysson, Latr. Prec. Char, des Ins. 125 (1797). 

 Mellinus, pt., Panz. Faun. Germ. 72. 13. 

 Ceropales, pt., Fabr. Syst. Piez. 185 (1804). 



Head transverse, not wider than the thorax; eyes ovate ; stem- 

 mata in a triangle on the vertex ; antenna? inserted at the base 

 of the clypeus, slightly thickened towards the apex, the scape 

 short and obconic ; the clypeus transverse, rounded anteriorly ; 

 mandibles arcuate, unidentate, and acute at their apex. Thorax 

 ovate; the collar and scutellum transverse ; the metathorax in- 

 clined, with a spine on each side ; the anterior wings with one 

 marginal and three submarginal cells ; the marginal cell elongate, 

 extending beyond the submarginal cells ; the first submarginal 

 longer than the two following united, the second petiolated and 

 receiving the two recurrent nervures, the third about the width of 

 the second and much narrowed tovmrds the marginal. The legs 

 slender, simple, and slightly pubescent. Abdomen subsessile, 

 ovato-conic, the apex more or less incurved, acute in the females, 

 furcate in the males ; the second ventral segment suddenly pro- 

 duced, forming an obtuse angle. 



1. Nysson spinosus. 

 N. niger ; antennis prope thoracis longitudinem. abdomine fas- 

 ciis tribus flavis. 



Crabro spinosus, Fabr. Syst. Ent. 373. 2 ; Ent. Syst. ii. 293. 1. 



Rossi, Mant. i. 139. 308. 



Panz. Faun. Germ. 62. 15 $ . 

 Mellinus interruptus, Panz. Faun. Germ. 72. 13 ? ? 



F 



