MELLINUS SABULOSU8. 115 



Vespa sabulosa, Gmelin, Ed. Syst. Nat. i. 2763. 118. 



Crabro petiolatus, Panz. Faun. Germ. 46. 11 <J. 



Crabro frontalis, Panz. Faun. Germ. 46. 12 . 



Mellinus sabulosus, Fabr. Ent. Syst. ii. 286. 2 ; Syst. Piez. 299. 2. 



Van d. Lind. Obs. ii. 87. 3. 



Shuck. Foss. Hym. 505. 2. 



Ctirffc, r#. Ent. xiii. t. 580 ? . 



Dahlb. Hym. Europ. i. 230. 133. 



Wesm. Hym. Foss. Belg. 96. 2. 

 Mellinus ruficornis, Fabr. Ent. Syst. ii. 286. 3 ; Syst. Piez. 298. 3. 



Panz. Faun. Germ. 77. 17. 



Latr. Hist. Nat. xiii. 519. 4. 



Dumeril, Consid. pi. 31. f. 4 ? . 

 Mellinus fulvicornis, Fabr. Syst. Piez. 300. 13 c? . 



Pa^. Fawz. Germ. 98. 18 <J ; JTriY. Revis. ii. 169. 



/"an i/. Lind. Obs. ii. 86. 2. 



Female. Length 5-6 lines. Black ; finely punctured, with a 

 line on the inner orbits of the eyes, the scape in front, and a 

 minute spot on each side of the clypeus, yellow ; the antennae 

 and mandibles ferruginous. Thorax shining and closely punc- 

 tured ; the rnetathorax with a depressed ovate space at its base 

 which is finely rugose, this is enclosed in a horseshoe-shaped 

 smooth space, Avhich is punctured at the base, beyond it is ru- 

 gose; a subinterrupted line on the collar, the tubercles, and a 

 spot on the scutellum, pale yellow ; the wings fulvo-hyaline, the 

 tegulae, nervures and stigma rufo-testaceous ; the legs ferru- 

 ginous, the coxae and trochanters black. Abdomen smooth 

 and shining, finely punctured towards the apex ; a transverse 

 ovate pale yellow spot on each side of the second and third seg- 

 ments, with a broad band on the fifth segment. 



The Male is usually rather smaller than the female, and differs 

 in having the scape and three or four of the basal joints of the 

 antennas more or less fuscous above ; the scape is yellow be- 

 neath ; the base of the femora more or less black at their base ; 

 the anterior tibiae in front, the femora, as well as the interme- 

 diate pair, yellowish beneath, the knees sometimes yellow ; the 

 abdomen with a transverse interrupted band at the base of the 

 third segment, and another entire at the base of the sixth, of a 

 yellowish white. 



Var. /3. An interrupted band on the second segment. 

 Var. y. The antenna? sometimes entirely fuscous above. 



This is a local, but widely distributed species. It has been 

 taken in Norfolk ; Mr. Curtis found it in Suffolk, and Mr. Dos- 

 setor captured it at Christchurch Sands. Hants; Dr. Howitt 



