802 Mr. T. D. A. Cockcrcll— /> scriptions and 



Phenacolletes mimus, sp. n. 



S . — Length about 14 mm. ; of anterior wing just over 10. 



Black, with the large soutellum red varying to black ; 

 head large, circular seen from in front ; cheeks broad ; 

 vertex convex ; ocelli well developed, in a low triangle ; 

 mandibles dark reddish, bidentate, but the inner tooth quite 

 small ; labrum ivith a shining elevated C jjlaced ivith the back 

 upwards, rather suggestive of a hog^s snout ; face broad, ivith 

 the eyes practically parallel (slightly diverging below) ; the 

 whole face, up to the ocelli, covered with dense snow-Avhite 

 pubescence, as also are the cheeks and occiput ; interocellar 

 region with a tuft of white hair ; vertex and mesothorax 

 exposed, finely granular ; antennae short, entirely dark except 

 that the apical margin of the scape is reddish, or the scape 

 may be entirely reddish ; flageUuni thick, the middle joints 

 broader than long, and strictly cylindrical; tubercles more or 

 less red ; pleura, postscutellum, and metathorax with much 

 white hair ; metathorax with a thick white fringe on each 

 side ; its basal enclosure large, shining, and hairless, with a deep 

 basal pit, and bounded by a strong sulcus ; mesothorax with 

 three impressed lines in front, and the parapsidal lines fairly 

 distinct j tegulse yellowish ferruginous. Wings variably 

 dusky, inclined to be yellowish ; stigma and nervures dark 

 brown, or the stigma practically black. Legs normal, dark 

 reddish, with fine white pruinosity, only the anterior femora 

 having behind a fringe of white hair ; land knee-plates well 

 developed ; hind tibioe rather slender and nearly cylindrical, 

 the hind legs being quite long ; anterior tibial spurs with a fine 

 comb, hind spurs simple ; abdomen rather shiny, with very 

 minute punctures, cjuite without pubescence except a fine white 

 pruinosity, especially noticeable at sides ; sutures not depressed ; 

 seventh dorsal segment with a broad flattened pygidial area ; 

 from the apex projects a small rounded plate. The characters 

 italicized are likely to be of geueric significance, in addition 

 to those given in the generic diagnosis. 



Hab. Turtle Bay, 91-82 ; three specimens, numbered 

 1421, 1423, and 1424. Turtle Bay is on the coast of 

 Australia ; I believe off the N.W. coast. The specimens 

 were collected by Commander J. J. Walker, R.N., on the 

 ' Penguin ' Expedition. 



This remarkable insect caused me much perplexity. The 

 general appearance and structure of the abdomen resemble 

 those of some wasp allied to Tachytes ; the legs also are very 

 wasp-like. On the other hand, the venation is quite that of 

 a bee, and the mouth-parts are of the Colletid type, which, 



