7ieiD Species of Diploptera. 109 



Black ; the mandibles, the clypeus apically and .laterally, 

 three small ovoid spots on the front (the two lower situated 

 between the base of the antennse) , the inner margin of the 

 eyes (including the sinus), the space behind the eyes, the 

 pronotum in front, and a narrow line along the posterior 

 margin to the tegulse, the tegulae, a spot on the mesopleurae, 

 two small spots on the scutellum, and two lines on the poste- 

 rior face of the median segment, pale yellow. Abdomen 

 with the petiole along the basal lateral half, two minute 

 marks at the base of the second segment, and the apical 

 margin of all the segments pale yellow. Legs : the anterior 

 pair Avith femora at the apex, the tibiae and tarsi, intex-mediate 

 pair with coxae beneath, femora and tibise apically, and tarsi, 

 posterior pair with femora and tibise at apex, and tarsi 

 (except the first joint at the base), pale yellow. Antennae 

 pale ferruginous, the scape black dorsally. Wings hyaline, 

 slightly fuscous in the radial cell. 



Head as broad as thorax at the tegulae, genae very short. 



Prothorax truncate anteriorly, widening towards the 

 tegulae. Petiole long and slender, about as long as head 

 and thorax combined, rather broader along the apical half ; 

 second abdominal segment cup-shaped, gradually widening 

 towards the apical margin. 



Clypeus with a few minute punctures and sparsely fringed 

 with white hairs; thorax and abdomen impunctate except for 

 a fine transverse striation on the apex of the median segment. 

 A short dense grey pubescence on the thorax. 



Length 10 mm. 



Hab. Kuh Sefid, S.W. Persia {Escalera) ; 4 ? . 



The slender build of this species separates it from any 

 described Asiatic Polybia. The petiole is longer and more 

 slender, and the widening of the second abdominal segment 

 more gradual. ]\Iost nearly allied to P. orientalis, Sauss., 



Polybia {Parapolybid) escaleras, sp. n. 



2 . Precedenti similis, sed omuino pallidior ; mesothorace duabus 

 iineis pallide flavis, abdominis segmentis late flavo-fasciatis. 



Black ; the scape beneath, the mandibles, the clypeus 

 (except for a faint median longitudinal line), a large ovoid 

 mark between the antennae, the inner margin and sinus of 

 the eyes, the space behind the eyes, and two small marks ou 

 the vertex pale yellow. Thorax black ; the pronotum in 

 front and along the posterior margin to the tegulae, the 



