MOllDELLID.E. RIPIPHORUS. 51 



Genus CCCCLVII.— Ripiphouus, Fabricius. 



Antennw remote, bipectinated in the males, uniserrated or branched in the 

 females; the basal joint stout, elongate; the second small, third obconic, 

 its inner edge and that of all the following produced into a tooth or branch, 

 as above indicated, the terminal joint being simple. Palpi subfiliform, with 

 the terminal joint obconic: mentum ovate: labrum elongate: head small: 

 eyes entire : thorax produced in the middle behind : scutellum wanting : 

 body compressed, arched, attenuated behind : elytra abbreviated, acumi- 

 nated and gaping at the apex ; luings longer than the elytra, exposed at the 

 apex: Zeg* elongate, simple; ^z'/j/o? with short spurs ; tarsi with the joints 

 entire. 



The absence of the scutellum, and the greatly attenuated elytra 

 of the msects of this genus, united to the flabellate or branched 

 antennse, exclusively of other characters, will enable the student to 

 recognise this singular genus of insects, whose larvas appear to be 

 fostered in the nests of wasps. 



Sp. 1. paradoxus. Niger, suhpuhescens, thorace profundi sulcata, anguhs 



posticis testaceis: — mas. antennis longius Jlabellatis, elytris testaceis : — 



femina, antennis breviiis jlabellatis, elytris totis nigris. (Long. corp. 6 — 8 lin.) 



Mo. paradoxa. Linne.—Rh. paradoxus. Curtis, i. pi. 19.— Steph. Catal. 250. 



No. 2489. 

 Black, slightly pubescent, and obsoletely punctured : thorax with a deep and 

 broad channel in the centre, its lateral angles broadly testaceous : abdomen 

 testaceous-yellow, with its apex sometimes black. Male with the elytra 

 testaceous, tipped with black, and the antennae with elongate branches ; — 

 female with the elytra entirely black, and the antennae with a single row of 

 branches on one side. 

 Although the males, exclusively of the antennae, are generally distinguished 

 from the females by having the elytra pale, tipped with black, all the inter- 

 mediate shades of colour exist; as in the series of the insect which I possess 

 every gradation of tint from testaceous to black occurs, without reference 

 to sex. 



Not common near London ; found occasionally on flowers at 

 Coombe in August ; but in some parts of the country it has been 

 taken in profusion, especially near " Netley." — Rev. F. W. Hope. 

 " Once taken on the wing at Swaffham Bulbcck." — Rev. L. Jenyns. 

 " Godstone."— fF. S. MacLeay, Esq. 



