Australian insectsFroggatt, Walter W. (Walter Wilson)
Science
Australian insects
Froggatt, Walter W. (Walter Wilson)
Insects -- Australia
_Mutilla rugicollis_, described by Westwood many years ago, is
our largest species, measuring in the larger female over ¾ of an inch
in length. She is black, very deeply punctured, thickly clothed with
black and silvery white hairs, the latter forming white patches on the
hind portion of the head, sides and under-surface of the abdomen, and
has a dorsal row of five distinct spots down the back. The male is much
smaller, with somewhat similar but not so distinct white markings, and
is furnished with dark brown wings, which are hyaline, close to the
sides of the thorax.
_Mutilla quadrisignata_ has about the same measurements as the
female of the last species; with blackish hairy covering, except on
the under surface of the abdomen, and four dark, reddish brown, oval
spots forming a square on the dorsal surface. Both these species have
a wide range over Australia. _Mutilla ferruginata_ is a smaller
species with a similar deeply punctured surface; is of a uniform dull
rusty red colour, thickly clothed with darker brown hairs; the legs
and antennae deeper coloured than the body. _Mutilla cordata_ is
typical of the smaller active forms that frequent tree trunks; the male
is black with dark wings and slender abdomen, and measures about ⅓ of
an inch in length; in this case much larger than the female, which has
a rounded body with the centre of the dorsal surface occupied with a
large rounded golden blotch. I have found the best time to collect
these insects is in the hottest part of the day, when they are running
up and down the larger tree trunks; but they are very active, and drop
at the least alarm, so that it takes some practice to capture them.
Family 15. Flower Wasps.
THYNNIDAE.
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