STUDIES IN THE FOSSORIAL WASPS. 719 



Elis (Mesa) orACiFROxs Turn. 



Plesia {Mesa) ojjacifrons Turn. Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (8) 

 i. p. 509 (1908), $. 



$ . This black species may be distinguished by the very sparse 

 puiicturation of the head, pronotum, and sixth dorsal segment. 

 The wings are pale f usco-hyaline. It is a larger and more robust 

 species than petiolata. 



Ilab. Salwen Valley, Tenasserim. 



*Elis (Mesa) dubia Mor. 



Plesia dubia Mor. Hor. Soc. Ent. Eoss. xxiv. p. 627 (1890), $ . 



This species is black, with the apical abdominal segment, 

 tarsi, hind tibite, mandibles, and antennfe beneath ferruginous, 

 the mesonotum shining and almost impunctate, the sixth dorsal 

 segment finely and closely punctured. 



Length 1 1| mm. 



Hah. Turkestan. 



Plesia (Mesa) apimacula Cam. 



Myzine apimacula Cam. Journ. Bombay Nat. Hist Soc xiv 

 p. 272 (1902), $. 



$ . This is allied to duhia Mor., but differs in having the four 

 apical abdominal segments ferruginous, the wings palei', and the 

 puncturation somewhat different. 



Hah. Deesa, N.W. India. 



The male described as belonging to this species by Colonel 

 Nurse is Pcecilotiphia alhomacidata Cam., but has three cubital 

 cells instead of two as in the type of the species, which is 

 evidently an aberration from the usual neuration. The male 

 has the form of a Myzine, not of a Mesa, but it is by no means 

 improbable that Nurse is correct in the association of the sexes 

 though he informs me that he does not recollect his reasons for 

 placing them together. The apical dorsal segment is deeply 

 incised as in Myzine, Cameron's action in forming a new genus 

 on a specimen with abnormal neuration is quite unjustified and 

 due to ignorance of the vai'iable character of neuration in the 

 Scoliida?, but I am at present doubtful if Pcecilotiphia should be 

 treated as a synonym of Myzine ov of Elis {Mesa). 



*Elis (Mesa) fedtscjenkoi Sauss. 



Plesia fedischenkoi Saussure in Fedtschenko : Turkestan, 

 Scoliidse, p. 29 (1880), $ {Plesia tariara on plate). 



Plesia tartara 8auss. I.e. pi. ii. fig. 12, $ . 



This seems to differ from duhia Mor. in the coarser and closer 

 puncturation of the mesonotum. The name tartara is used on 

 the plate through a fault in the editing, and has unfortunately 

 been recorded in Dalla Tori-e's Catalogue as a distinct species. 



