MELISSODES. 113 



pale rufo -testaceous ; the legs with fulvous pubescence ; the scopa 

 on the posterior tibiae with a few fuscous hairs at the base above. 

 Abdomen entirely pale ferruginous, palest beneath. 



Male. Yery closely resembles the female, but has some thin white 

 fasciae on the apical segments of the abdomen. 



Hab. Ega, on the Amazons. 



MELISSODES, Latr. 



1. Melissodes obscura. 



Female. Length 5^ lines. — Black. The face with pale pubescence, 

 white on each side of the clypeus, and yellowish above the inser- 

 tion of the antennas ; on the posterior margin of the vertex it is 

 black, and on the labrum fulvous. Mesothorax with a tuft of 

 black pubescence on each side anteriorly ; the sides and the meta- 

 thorax with pale yellowish-white pubescence, and a little pale 

 tomentum at the margin of the teguke ; wings subhy aline, their 

 apical margin clouded and brightly iridescent, the nervures blackish 



. brown ; legs dark rufo-piceous ; the intermediate and posterior legs 

 with black pubescence ; the apical joint of the tarsi ferruginous. 

 Abdomen with a little pale pubescence at the base ; the second 

 segment has a narrow line of white tomentum on each side at its 

 basal margin ; the fourth segment with two angular spots of ful- 

 vous pubescence, and the two following segments covered with the 

 same ; beneath rufo-piceous. 



Hab. Brazil, St. Paulo. 



2. Melissodes rubricata. 



Female. Length 6 lines. — Head and thorax black ; legs rufo-piceous 

 beneath ; abdomen bright chestnut-red. The face with short gri- 

 seous pubescence ; the clypeus with an abbreviated central carina, 

 its anterior margin truncate ; the labrum obscurely ferruginous. 

 Thorax densely clothed above with fulvous pubescence, beneath 

 it is fuscous ; wings slightly fulvo-hyaline, darkest towards the 

 apex ; the nervures rufo-fuscous, tegulae rufo- testaceous ; the leg- 

 with black pubescence, that on the posterior tibiae outside with a 

 mixture of pale hairs. A little pale pubescence at the base of the 

 abdomen, which towards the apex becomes rufo-fuscous. 



Hab. Mexico, Oajaca. 



3. Melissodes pubescens. 



Male. Length 4 lines. — Black, and densely clothed with pale ful- 

 vous pubescence. The clypeus, labrum, and mandibles yellowish 



