112 



MELLINUS. 



The Male is about the same size as the female, but differs in 

 having the terminal joint of the antennae lunulate, the clypeus 

 with a slight silvery pubescence, and the first and basal half of 

 the second segment red. 



This species was first discovered in this country by Mr, Curtis, 

 at Hastings, since which it has been captured near Ryde in the 

 Isle of Wight, and near Bristol ; no other localities are known. 



Genus 5. MELLINUS. 



Vespa, pt., Linn. Syst. Nat. i. 948 (1766). 

 Crabro, pt., Fabr. Mant. i. 294 (1787). 

 Mellinus, pt., Fabr.Ent. Syst. ii. 285 (1793). 



Head as wide as the thorax ; eyes large, lateral, and ovate ; 

 the stemmata placed in a curve forward on the vertex ; antennae 

 inserted at the base of the clypeus, distant, filiform, with the 

 scape subobconic; the clypeus transverse, the anterior margin 

 rounded, with three short teeth in the centre; labrum linear, 

 concealed ; the mandibles tridentate in the female, bidentate in 

 the male, the apical tooth acute. Thorax ovate, the collar trans- 

 verse ; the scutellum subquadrate ; the metathorax obtuse, with 

 an enclosed space at its base ; the anterior wings with one mar- 

 ginal and four submarginal cells; the marginal cell elongate, 

 narrow, and pointed at its apex ; the jirst submarginal cell as- 

 long as the two following, receiving the first recurrent nervure 

 very near its apex ; the second submarginal much narrowed 

 towards the marginal; the third wider, oblique, and slightly 

 narrowed towards the marginal, and receiving the second recur- 

 rent very near its base ; the fourth submarginal extending to the 

 apex of the wing ; the legs slender and slightly spinose. Abdo- 

 men lanceolate, the basal segment forming a long petiole, which 

 is narrow at its base and nodose at its extremity. 



Having frequently observed the habits of the type of this 

 genus, M. arvensis, and reared it from the larva state, a few- 

 observations are here recorded. When the parent insect has 

 formed a burrow of the required length, and enlarged the extre- 

 mity into a chamber of proper dimensions, she issues forth in 

 search of the proper nutriment for her young ; this consists of 

 various Dipterous insects : species of various genera are equally 

 adapted to her purpose Muscidce, Syrphidce, &c., are captured. 



