42 MANDIBULATA. HYMENOPTERA. 



body short, acute : legs slender, simple, the tibice furnished at the apex only, 

 with 2 acute spurs; tarsi with each joint generally tipped with black. 

 Athalia, by possessing 4 submarginal and 2 marginal areolets, with 

 ihort 10-jointed antennae, the terminal joint being apparently divided, 

 &c. may be distinguished from Messa and Fenusa with facility : the 

 species included in the genus have a great similarity to each other, 

 and a very peculiar habit ; they are not very dissimilar in appearance 

 to some species of Hylotoma, but the great discrepancy in the 

 antennae at once serves to discriminate them. 



Sp. 1. spinarum. Luteo-Jlava. thoracis dorso macula triangulari duplici, tibiis 

 iarsorumque articulis apice nigris. (Long. corp. 3§ lin. ; Exp. Alar. 7 — 8 lin.) 



Te. spinarum. Fabricius. — At. spinarum. Steph. Nomen. 2d edit. col. 125. 



Head pale luteous, with the crown black; eyes the same; antennae fuscous 

 above, yellow beneath, the 2 basal joints entirely luteous ; thorax luteous, 

 with a triangular black patch on each side ; abdomen dusky-black at the 

 base, the remainder bright luteous ; legs luteous, with the extreme tip of 

 all the tibiae, and of each joint of the tarsi black ; wings pale testaceous at 

 the base, with the nervures the same, fuscous at the apex, which is pale ; 

 costa and stigma pale testaceous. 

 This appears to be a very rare species ; my specimen was taken at 



Darenth wood, several years since, in June. 



Sp. 2. Centifolise. Luteo-Jlava, antennis, capite, thoracis dorso macula triangulari 

 duplici, tibiis iarsorumque articulis apice nigris. (Long. corp. 3 — * lin. ; 

 Exp. Alar. 7— 8J lin.) 



Te. Centifoliae. Panzer. — At. Centifolise. Steph. Nomen. 2d edit. col. 12.5. 



Head and antennae black ; mouth yellowish ; thorax luteous, with a large 

 triangular black patch on each side, extending to the metathorax ; abdomen 

 pale luteous, with the base of the 1st segment black, and the tip of the ovi- 

 positor in the female ; legs pale luteous, with the extreme apex of the tibiae 

 and of each joint of the tarsi black ; wings pale testaceous at the base, 

 colourless, and with nervures fuscous at the tip; costa and stigma fuscous 

 or blackish. 

 Not uncommon : found at Darenth and Coombe woods towards 



the end of June and in July. 



Sp. 3. cordata. Testacea, antennis, capite, thoracis disco, macula ad basin abdo- 

 minis, tibiis iarsorumque articulis apice nigris, ore albido. (Long. corp. 

 2— 2ilin.; Exp. Alar. 5—6 lin.) 



At. cordata. St. Fargeau Mon. 22.— Steph. Nomen. 2d edit. col. 125. 



Antennae and head black ; mouth and clypeus anteriorly whitish ; apex of the 

 mandibles fuscous; thorax black; beneath in front and at the base of the 

 wings testaceous ; abdomen testaceous, with a somewhat heart-shaped black 

 spot at the base of the 1st segment; legs testaceous, with the tips of the 



