90 



HYMENOPTERA. 



12. Alastor argentifrons. B.M. 



Female. Length 51 lines. — Black : the head and thorax 

 coarsely punctmcd ; the clypeus much longer than broad, its 

 apical margin obtusely emarginate; a minute spot behind the 

 eyes, a spot between the antennae and the chpeus, orange-red; 

 the margins of the clypeus, a sj)ot at its base, and an abbreviated 

 line in the middle at its apex, black ; the sides of the clypeus 

 and inner orbit of the eyes with a glittering silvery pubescence. 

 Thorax : an orange spot on each side of the prothorax in fi-ont ; 

 the knees, tibisc and tarsi ferruginous ; the w ings fusco-hyaline, 

 darkest along the anterior margin of the superior pair ; the 

 thorax beneath, the femora and abdomen beneath, covered with 

 a fine silky silvery pubescence. Abdomen with an orange band 

 on the apical margin of the first segment, which is recurved on 

 each side ; the rest of the abdomen orange-red above, with a 

 large subaugular black spot at the base of the second segment 

 extending to two-thirds of its length ; beneath, the first and 

 second segments black, the second uith an orange fascia on its 

 apical margin suddenly widened on each side ; the following seg- 

 ments have their apical margins yellowish. 



Hab. Australia. 



13. Alastor carinatus. 



Female. Length 6 hues. — Black: the head and thorax 

 coarsely punctured ; the clypeus longer than broad, slightly re- 

 flexed at the ajiex, which is truncate ; above and between the 

 antennae is a short carina ; a minute orange spot behind the eves. 

 Thorax : a minute orange sjjot on each side of the posterior 

 margin of the ])rothorax ; the wings fuscous, darkest along the 

 anterior margin of the superior pair ; the knees and the tibia; 

 ferruginous, the latter dusky outside ; the metathorax truncate, 

 the truncation slightly concave, with an impressed longitudinal 

 line in the middle. Abdomen : the first segment truncate at the 

 base, with a slight carina at the verge of the truncation, which is 

 rugose; the first segment with an orange band on its apical 

 margin, widest and notched in the middle and emarginate on 

 each side ; the other segments yellow ; the base of the second 

 segment black at the base, forming an angular shape in the 

 middle, and with a square notch on each side ; beneath, tuber- 

 culate in the middle of its base. 



Hab. Adelaide. (Coll. F. Smith.) 



This species is allied to the A. aureocinctus of Guerin, which 

 has the basal segment of the abdomen truncate ; but that insect 

 has the clypeus bidentate at the apex, and has also a minute 



