1908.] AUSTRALIAN FOSSORIAL WASPS. 483 



exceeding the length of the two basal joints of the flagellum. 

 Pronotum depressed below the mesonotuni, which is depressed in 

 the middle of the anterior margin ; scutellum short, broadly 

 truncate at the apex. Median segment abont one-third shorter 

 than the mesonotnm, narrowed posteriorly and truncate, a deep 

 median sulcus starting from just above the base of the truncation 

 and continued along its surface to the apex. Abdomen extremely 

 minutely punctured, without pile. 



Head and thorax black ; the apex of the clypeus, the mandibles, 

 and the scape of the antennas ferruginous bi'owai ; the scutellum 

 and median segment fusco-ferruginous ; abdomen and legs light 

 testaceous red, the apical margin of the abdominal segments 

 paler ; pu.bescence golden. Wings hyaliiie ; nervures black, 

 testaceous red at the base and on the costa. 



Length 10 mm. 



Hah. Mackay, Queensland {Titrner) ; February. 



This beautiful species is allied to fervida Sm., but is much 

 smaller and less stoutly built. 



Tachytes appboximatus, sp. n. 



5 . Clypeus closely punctured, transversely depressed and 

 truncate on the apical margin ; the clypeus and front clothed with 

 pale shining pubescence, with a faint golden sheen. Antennfe 

 inserted nearer to each other than to the eyes ; the second joint of 

 the flagellum about three times as long as the first and equal in 

 length to the first and third combined, the fourth, fifth, and sixth 

 equal in length to each other, each slightly shorter than the third. 

 Eyes separated on the vertex by a distance about equal to the 

 length of the third joint of the flagellum. ; the vertex very 

 minutely punctured, with a fine longitudinal sulcus from the 

 posterior ocelli to the posterior margin of the head. Pronotum 

 very much depressed and very small ; the thorax and median 

 segment very minutely jDunctured ; a broad line of short, pale 

 golden pubescence on the sides of the mesonotuni, very narrowly 

 continued on the posterior margin, with a quadrate, narrowly 

 divided patch on each side of the middle of the anterior margin ; 

 the pubescence on the postscutellum and the sides of the median 

 segment pale and shining, the segment only a little more than 

 half as long as the mesonotuni, steeply but not quite vertically 

 sloped posteriorly, with a median sulcus on the posterior face. 

 Abdomen shining, finely punctured and pubescent, the pubescence 

 short, thin, and dark, the apical margins of the four basal dorsal 

 segments with a broad band of pale and somewhat obscure golden 

 pubescence ; the pygidial area long and not very narrow, nari^owly 

 rounded at the apex and clothed with brilliant golden pubescence. 

 The basal joint of the anterior tarsus with five spines on the outer 

 margin. The third cubital cell is a little longer than the second 

 on the radial nervure, and about as long as the second on the 

 cubital nervure, narrow and much curved. 



Black ; the mandibles fusco-ferruginous ; the tegulfe, tibiae,. 



