L48 CRABRO INTERSTINCTUS. 



Var. 1. — A narrow interrupted line at the base of the scutellum, 

 and the fascia on the basal segment waved. 



Var. 2. — A narrow line on the scutellum ; a waved line on the 

 basal segment of the abdomen and the third fascia only, slightly 

 interrupted. 



Var. 3. — A line on the scutellum and all the fascia; on the abdo- 

 men entire, the first with an angular projection in the middle 

 in front, and a short line on each side of it curving inwards. 



Male. — Agreeing exactly with the description of C. sexcinctus, 

 except that the pubescence which clothes the clypeus is golden- 

 coloured. 



This is an abundant species. It burrows in decaying wood, 

 and provisions its nest with Diptera. Several varieties inter- 

 vening between those given above will be met with ; but the 

 extremes are described, as far as our observation has enabled us 

 to give them. Var. 3 was taken in the Landslip, Isle of Wight, 

 where very large highly coloured examples were captured, some 

 having two or four small yellow spots on the abdomen beneath. 



26. Crabro interstinctus. 



C. niger, flavo-maculatus ; mesothorace punctato ; antennarum 

 articulis subtus emarginatis, abdominis segmentis quinque- 

 punctatis. 



Crabro interstinctus, Smith, Zool. ix. Append, p. cxxvi. 

 Crabro fossorius, Dahlb. Hym. Europ. i. 422. 276 ? 

 St. Farg. Hym. hi. 130 ? 



Mule. Length 3 lines. — Black ; head subquadrate, minutely 

 and closely punctured ; the ocelli in a triangle on the vertex ; 

 a smooth impressed line runs from the anterior ocellus to a deep 

 canaliculation on the face ; the clypeus carinated in the centre, 

 and covered with silvery pubescence ; the scape of the antenna: 

 yellow towards the apex ; the third and fourth joints of the na- 

 gelluru deeply emarginate beneath, and produced into a tooth 

 at their apex. Thorax : the mesothorax covered with minute 

 elongate punctures ; the metathorax rugose, with seven or eight 

 short elevated lines at the base, a longitudinal incisure in the 

 centre and the posterior transversely striated ; the wings hya- 

 line, the nervures and tegulse piceous ; the anterior tibia; in 

 front, the posterior pair above, and the anterior and intermediate 

 tarsi, vellow. The second, third, fourth and fifth segments of 



