Hab. Aru; Celebes; Ceram; India.
Var. The specimens from Aru differ from the typical ones in wanting the two longitudinal yellow lines on the metathorax, which is entirely black. Saussure has a variety with the metathorax black between the lines; of two examples from Celebes, one has the yellow lines entire, the other has them abbreviated at half their length.
4. Polistes nigrifrons. P. capite thoraceque nigris, flavo et ferrugineo variegatis; abdomine ferrugineo, segmentis basi nigris, marginibus apicalibus flavis.
Female. Length 8 lines. Head and thorax black; the anterior margin of the clypeus angular and narrowly rufo-testaceous; the mandibles, palpi, and antennæ ferruginous; the scape, and flagellum above, except the basal joint, fuscous; the outer orbits of the eyes with a narrow yellow line. The anterior margin of the prothorax slightly rebordered, the posterior margin ferruginous; the outer margin of the tegulæ reddish-yellow; wings subhyaline with a fusco-ferruginous stain along the anterior margins of the superior pair; the metathorax finely striated transversely, and with two yellow stripes running upwards halfway from the base, the posterior margin of the pectus, tips of the coxæ, the femora at their base and apex, the tibiæ and tarsi beneath, ferruginous; tips of the femora, and tibiæ above, yellowish. Abdomen ferruginous, with the base of the second and following segments black; the first and three following segments with a yellow fascia on their apical margins; beneath, the two basal segments entirely ferruginous.
Hab. Aru.
This species is closely allied to the P. fastidiosus of Saussure, and, notwithstanding the difference in colouring, may possibly, I think, be an extreme variety of that species.
5. Polistes elegans. P. ferrugineus; capite thoraceque flavo variis; segmentis abdominis flavo marginatis.
Female. Length 8 lines. Ferruginous; the clypeus, mandibles, cheeks, and the face, as high as the middle of the emargination of the eyes, yellow. Thorax: the margins of the prothorax, two longitudinal stripes on the mesothorax, the scutellum, postscutellum, and sides of the metathorax broadly, yellow; the legs beneath, the coxæ and the sides of the thorax spotted with yellow; the intermediate and posterior coxæ spotted with ferruginous or fusco-ferruginous; the metathorax finely striated transversely; the wings hyaline with the nervures ferruginous. Abdomen: the first and three following segments with yellow marginal fasciæ, that on the fourth usually more or less obliterated.
Hab. Aru; Key Island.
Fam. EVANIDÆ, Leach.