CRABRO SCUTATUS. 143 



closed by lateral ridges ; the collar and post-scutellum with a 

 transverse yellow line, the former generally interrupted, the 

 latter frequently obsolete; the wings slightly coloured, the 

 nervures and tegulae rufo-piceous ; the anterior and intermediate 

 tibiae in front, and the posterior pair with a ring at their base, 

 yellow ; the anterior and intermediate tarsi yellow at their base, 

 rufo-piceous at their apex, the posterior pair entirely piceous ; 

 the anterior tarsi slightly ciliated outside, and the intermediate 

 and posterior tibiae spinose. Abdomen elongate-ovate, with 

 five yellow bands ; the second, third, fourth and fifth very 

 wide, the first four generally interrupted, the fourth frequently 

 widely interrupted, the fifth usually entire, the second and 

 third generally very slightly interrupted ; the apical segment 

 with generally a yellow spot on each side, and a central one 

 beneath. 



Var. «. The clypeus with two yellow spots. 



Male. Length 3-4 lines. — The antennae with the clavolet fringed 

 below, and the scape with sometimes a lateral yellow line ; the 

 inner orbits of the eyes and the clypeus covered with silvery 

 pubescence, the latter tridentate in front; the yellow on the 

 collar and post-scutellum generally obsolete ; the anterior and 

 intermediate femora fuscous in front, the latter also behind ; the 

 abdomen elongate, the first segment gradually narrowing into 

 a petiole, and generally much less coloured than in the female, 

 it being most frequently limited to an ovate yellow spot on each 

 side of the base of the second and third segments, sometimes 

 a few spots at the base of the sixth. 



Var. a.. The clypeus with two yellow spots, the abdomen entirely 



black. 

 Var. /3. The clypeus and abdomen both entirely black. 



This is one of the most abundant species of the genus ; it 

 burrows in rotten wood, and provisions its nest with gnats and 

 other small Diptera. 



*** Antenna simple. Anterior tibia of the males dilated. 



22. Crabro scutatus. 



C. niger ; clypeo flavo-maculato ; metathoracis basi oblique 

 striato ; mesosterno apice denticulate Fcem. 



C. antennis filiformibus, tibiis scutelloque albis, apice nigris. 

 Mas. 



