Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society - Vol. 3 | Page 7

subhyalinis, nervuris nigris.
Female. Length 7 lines. Black, and covered with ashy pile; a large macula on each side of the clypeus, the mandibles and palpi yellow; the base and apex of the mandibles rufo-piceous; the flagellum pale ferruginous, more or less fuscous above towards the base. Thorax: the posterior margin of the prothorax arched; the anterior and intermediate tibi? and tarsi and the femora at their apex beneath, also the posterior femora, pale ferruginous; the wings subhyaline, the nervures dark fuscous. Abdomen: the apical margins of the segments obscurely and narrowly rufo-piceous, the apex ferruginous.
Hab. Celebes.
Gen. MACROMERIS, St. Farg.
1. Macromeris splendida, St. Farg. Hym. iii. 463. 1. [Symbol: male].
Hab. India, China, Malacca, Borneo, Java, Celebes.
Gen. MYGNIMIA, Smith.
1. Mygnimia iridipennis, Smith, Journ. Proc. Linn. Soc. ii. p. 98.
Hab. Celebes, Borneo.
This insect, a female, is 5 lines larger than M. iridipennis; but I can point out no other distinction beyond a slight difference in the colour of the wings: the specimen from Borneo has a metallic bluish-green iridescence, the Celebes insect has a violet iridescence; notwithstanding which I am inclined to regard them as one species.
2. MYGNIMIA FUMIPENNIS. M. aurantiaco-rubra, alis obscure fuscis.
Female. Length 9 lines. Orange-red; the anterior margin of the clypeus entire; the labrum produced, its anterior margin widely emarginate; eyes large, black and ovate. Thorax: the posterior margin of the prothorax rounded; the mesothorax with a longitudinal fuscous stripe on each side, widest anteriorly; the metathorax truncate; above, transversely striate; the tibi? and tarsi spinose; wings dark fuscous, with a pale semitransparent macula at the base of the second discoidal cell and a dark fuscous macula beyond; the insect entirely covered with a fine orange-red downy pile.
Hab. Celebes.
Fam. SPHEGID?.
1. SPHEX PR?DATOR. S. niger, rude punctatus, facie pube fulva vestita; alis fuscis cupreo iridescentibus.
Male. Length 10-1/2 lines. Black; the head and thorax opake. Abdomen shining blue-black. The face with silvery pile on each side of the clypeus, and sprinkled with erect black hairs. Thorax: the posterior margin of the prothorax with a line of silvery pubescence; the metathorax with a short light-brown pubescence at the apex, and thinly clothed with black hairs; wings dark brown, with a brilliant violet iridescence. Abdomen blue-black, smooth and shining.
Hab. Celebes.
2. AMMOPHILA INSOLATA. A. nigra, scapo mandibulis, pedibus, abdominisque segmentis primo et secundo ferrugineis; alis subhyalinis.
Female. Length 8-1/2 lines. Black; the scape, the base of the flagellum beneath, the anterior margin of the clypeus and the mandibles ferruginous; the latter black at their apex. Thorax: the prothorax smooth and shining; the meso- and metathorax above transversely striated, the scutellum longitudinally so; the legs ferruginous, with their cox? black; a spot of silvery-white pubescence on each side of the metathorax at its base, and two at its apex close to the insertion of the petiole; the wings fulvo-hyaline with the nervures ferruginous. Abdomen: the petiole and the following segment red, the base of the third also slightly red; the three apical segments obscurely blue, with a thin glittering pile.
The male differs in having the legs black, their articulations only being ferruginous; the head entirely black with the face densely covered with silvery-white pile. The thorax is sculptured as in the other sex; the petiole more elongate and slender, the basal joint black, the second and the first segment ferruginous beneath; the rest of the abdomen blue.
Hab. Celebes.
Gen. PELOP?US, Latr.
1. Pelop?us Madraspatanus, Fabr. Syst. Piez. p. 203. 3.
Hab. Malabar, Madras, Nepaul, Bengal, Celebes.
2. Pelop?us Bengalensis, Dahlb. Syst. Nat. i. 941. 2.
Hab. India, Philippine Islands, China, Isle of France, Celebes.
3. PELOP?US INTRUDENS. P. niger; clypeo bidentato, tibiis anticis et intermediis, femorumque apice, femoribusque posticis basi, trochanteribus, tibiarum dimidio basali, petioloque rufescenti-flavis; alis fulvo-hyalinis.
Female. Length 11 lines. Black; the face with silvery pubescence; the clypeus with two large blunt teeth at its apex, formed by a deep notch in its anterior margin; the scape reddish-yellow in front. The meso- and metathorax transversely striated; the wings fulvo-hyaline, the nervures ferruginous; the anterior and intermediate tibi? and the femora at their apex, the posterior femora at their base, the trochanters, the tibi? with their basal half and the middle of the basal joint of the posterior tarsi, reddish-yellow; the petiole of the abdomen of a paler yellow; the abdomen smooth and shining. The male only differs in being rather smaller.
Hab. Celebes.
Mr. Wallace says of this species, "A common house-wasp in Macassar; builds mud cells on rafters."
Note.--In describing the species of this genus collected by Mr. Wallace at Borneo, I incorrectly gave that locality for P. javanus. The insect mistaken for that species may be shortly characterized as P. benignus, length 12 lines. Opake-black, with the petiole shining; the metathorax transversely striated; the wings pale fulvo-hyaline, the nervures ferruginous; the scape in front, the anterior and intermediate tibi?, the apex of the femora, and the basal joint of the tarsi reddish-yellow; the