THE AMPULEX. 



467 



of a brilliant emerald green. Some specimens, however, are en- 

 tirely blue, sometimes the thorax is half blue and half green, and 

 in a few specimens the colour is so vague that it is impossible to 

 decide whether the real colour be blue or green. The wings are 

 yellow and shining, and in most instances those of the female 



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Fig. 246.— Ch'.orion lobatum. Female. 

 (Shining green.) 



are clouded with brown at the tips. It is one of the spider- 

 eating species, and displays great powers of perseverance in cap- 

 turing and dragging its prey to the burrow. 



The two sexes are very dissimilar in appearance, and both are 

 therefore represented, the small specimen being the male, and 

 the larger the female. 



The genus Ampulex is a very large one, and is spread over 

 the wanner portions of the world. There are in the British 

 Museum specimens from India, China, the Celebes, Africa, and 

 tropical America. The present species comes from Borneo, and 

 there is only a single specimen in the British Museum. 



The commonest species is Ampulex compressa, a native of 

 China. This is a very brightly coloured insect. The head, 

 thorax, and abdomen are rich shining purple, and the wings are 

 pale brown. The legs are bright blue, except the thighs, which 

 are red. All the species belonging to this genus stock their 



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