450 



Mr. G, Meade- Wallo on 



of wliich was described from Angola^ might pi'ovc to be the 

 male of R. natalensis, Smith, described from Natal, but the 

 females from N.E. Rhodesia show that this is not the case. 

 The male of R. natahnsis still remaius unknown. 



lemales of R. natalensis and R. punctata differ from one 

 another in the following respects : — 



R. natalensis. 



Petiole sliglitly longer tlian 

 tliorax, posterior half widening 

 somewhat abruptly towards apex. 

 Tubercles on sides comparatively 

 prominent. Angles of pronotum 

 more pronounced than in R. 

 punctata. 



Clypeus black. 



Pronotum black. 



R. punctata. 

 Petiole as long as head and 

 thorax combined, n-idening very 

 gradually towards apex, very 

 slender. Tubercles either absent 

 or very minute. 



Clypeus ferruginous, base yellow. 

 Pronotum mostly ferruginous. 



The males of R. punctata recently received all have the 

 pronotum more or less ferruginous ; in the type specimen 

 there is small trace of this, the hind margin of the pronotum 

 alone bearing a reddish tinge. It is possible that this colour 

 fades, since the type specimen was received at the British 

 Museum in 1873, i. e. 37 years before it was described. 

 On the other hand, R. natalensis was in all probability 

 described from a fresh specimen, as it w^as only acquired by 

 the Museum the year preceding the publication of its 

 description, a fact which suggests that it never bore any 

 ferruginous markings. 



Labus, Sauss. 



The following key should help in the identification of 

 the newly described forms ; three closely allied species are 

 included for comparison : — 



A. Postscutellum bispinose L. sualei, sp. n. 



B. Postscutellum not bispinose. 



a. Slender insects ; petiole without a spine 

 at base, at least as long as thorax. 

 a'. liend broader than thurax. 



a^. Abdominal segments 1, 2 with 

 yellowish faacife, terminal seg- 

 ments black. 

 G*. Teiruhc black. 



a\ Petiole linear L.fraijilis, sp. n. 



i'. I'etiole distinctly broader at 



apex L. (tdelphus, sp. u. 



b^. Tegulne red-ferruginous L. annnlafus, M. -Waldo. 



i\ All the abdominal segments with 

 yellow fascia^, terminal abdo- 

 minal segment red-ferruginous . . L. maiudroni, Biiyss. 



