american wasps

SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS. 254. SYNOPSIS. AMERICAN WASPS BY. Dr.. HENRI DB SATTSSURE, OF GENEVA, SWITZERLAND.. SOLITARY WASPS.. WASHINGTON:. SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. DECEMBER,. 1S75..

ADVERTISEMENT.. The. presenl. publication. American Vespidae. or. is. the. first. part of a Synopsis of. Wasps, prepared by Dr. Henri. De. Saus-. sure of Geneva, Switzerland, one of the highest living authorities. on the Bubject. This work relates result of. many. to the " Solitary. Wasps,'' and has been the. years of careful study and patient investigation.. Unforeseen events have occurred. to delay its publication, in addi-. tion to the loss of time occasioned. by the necessity of transmit-. ting the proofs and revises to the author in Europe. In. the. be found suggestions by the distin-. introduction will. guished author as to the philosophy of points of natural history, well. worthy the attention of the general students of. of science, and the whole. work. will. this. branch. doubtless be considered a. valuable addition to the sources of knowledge on entomology.. The. [nstitution. acknowledges the important aid rendered in. the translation of the. work. into English, its careful preparation. and the revision of the proof-sheets, by Mr. Edward Norton " Farmington, Conn., whose services have also been acknowledged in the annexed dedication by the author. for the press !. JOSEPH HENRY, Sewetary Smithsonian Institution,. Washington, December, 1875.. PHILADELPHIA. COLLINS, PRINTER.. (ii). S. I..

—. DEDICATION.. To Mr. Edward Norton. Sir I. :. desirous of dedicating to you this. am. attempt to draw. first. of North America.. up a Hymenopterological Fauna. flagging interest you have kindly taken in this. me. hope that you. to. The. will accept. offering.. you placed. readiness with which. lections,. my. The un-. work emboldens. at. my. service your col-. and the assistance of your valuable instructions, were. already sufficient claims. to. my. gratitude.. Your kindness. me. taking upon yourself the task of translator makes strongly the extent of. me. It is for. my. feel. in. more. obligations to you.. a subject of regret that. my. imperfect acquaint-. ance with the English language has not permitted me to relieve you from the trouble of this work. Had I been capable of. composing. this. book. before the public, the. writing it is. it. in the. idiom in which. many hours. of. enjoyment. would not be contrasted with the. is. it. I. many. to. appear. have had. in. tedious hours. likely to occasion you.. Beside the peculiar charm which the study of nature ever possesses, the. drawing up. of this. thought to those regions of the. was a over. child, allured. my. insects,. me. mind, and transported stirring scenes of. with an. many. monograph has wafted me. New World. which have, since. irresistible spell.. to those thought-inspiring. your magnificent country.. As. I. While conning. a remembrance has loomed before. me. in. my. and soul-. a Swiss, I felt. (iii).

j. DEDICATION.. v. pride to those of. my own dear it. For me in. ii. sir,. ual. you, and. I. intellectual. life. which animates. hat. hs. you to. knowledge. scientific. will. to appreciate,. thanks to the. men.. deign to rend these lines with an indul-. the sincerity with which they are addressed to. you. will see in. them a pledge of my gratitude and. devotedm. UK Ml I De saussure. neva. Switzerland,. lit:.. its. all. American continent, whose natural riches. more and more able. untiring zeal of trust,. analogous. country, and that the grandeur of. sphere, to the extension of the physical. part of the. are daily. I. the. institutions are. source of satisfaction to be able to contribute,. a. is. my humble. of that. and. its. people, have their counterpart in Helvetia.. its. f. :. reflecting that. in. 1. May, 18G3..

PREFACE.. I. published. in. which forms the. first. As soon. Vespidse. 2 it. my Monograph on volume of my Studies. 1852. as that. work was. was ve*y imperfect. I was still a mere student when. of this. book. cation.. I. pleting. it. ;. I. felt. 1. on the Family of the. printed, I perceived that. composed the greater part. bears too evident marks of. consequently. Wasps;. the Solitary. its. premature publi-. the necessity of correcting and com-. by means of a Supplement which occupies the greater Studies on the Family of the. it. part of the third volume of the. To. was. This, however,. Vespidse.. the imperfections in the. insufficient.. MS.. of the work, attributable to. inexperience, were added those of the form. to. fall. into the. who. my. had the misfortune. hands of a printer who not only delayed. the publication of the work, but ful. I. also executed. for. it in. years. a shame-. manner, neglecting to make proof corrections, and printing. the notes in the midst of the text.. Having I. turned. lost all patience. my. leaving to the care of. who had. with the delay and errors of the work,. back on the social wasps and started. often aided. my me. with his. superintending the impression. to Europe, I. for. America,. excellent and worthy friend, Dr. Siebel, skill. Two. and advice, the task of. years after, on. my. return. found that only three or four sheets had been printed,. and that the third volume was only on the eve of being finished, and it was not until 1857 and 1858 that the volume on the social. wasps was completed, by the appearance of the general. part, in. which were developed the facts concerning the nidification of these insects, of. which a summary alone had appeared. in the explanation of the plates,. 1. 2. and. in. 1. 853 and 1854,. in a special pa*per.. Monographie des Gruip^s Solitaires. Geneve, Paris. Etudes sur la Famille des Vespides, 3 vols, and atlas.. (v). But.

PREFACE.. VI. during the three years, while the manuscript had lingered in the hands of the printer, there had appeared a memoir, by Dr. Mobius,. my work,. on Wasps' Nests, so that. ua-. arrear of science.. in. at the time of its publication,. 1. must add the death of the artist M. during the publication of the memory, Vaillant, of ^o interesting draughtsmen, by whom I replaced succeeding The first volume. produced infeand have often him, from equalling were far him, these contingencies. To. I. 2. sometimes even bad drawings. 3. rior,. It will. a. first,. be easily understood that all these vicissitudes. contributed to render the. little. have. I. undertake cent res,. work. defective.. the necessity of recasting. felt. journeys. fresh. London,. Paris,. to. visit. I. etc.,. But as. it.. collections. the. have not. From. the very. I could in. not. distant. have adopted another method,. my studies on the Family of the Vespidse by means of successive memoirs, resulting from the study of collections, which are kindly communi-. which consists. in. cated to me. 4. me one day. to. correcting and completing. All these works, together, will perhaps enable reeompo.se a general work.. An. excellent oppor-. Wlien, at length, the work was completed by the tardy appearance. 1. of the general part of the. part. in. 2d volume, Mr. Gerstacker spoke of this general. annual report on the progress of Entomology (Troschel's. his. Archives), calling. it, I know not He reproached. for. fmirth volume.. it. works.. is,. True. it. what reason, the commencement. of a. disparagingly for not noticing, recent. he could not guess that. it. was an old laggard which. had been some years in press. :. Mr. Vaillant was the artist attached to the scientific exploration of. 3. The drawings of the PI. XVI, of Tome I, are in particular very bad. I have thus composed the following memoirs, forming, as it were, a. ia.. 4. supplement. to. my. Studies on the Vespidoz:. —. Description de quelques nouvelles Especes de Vespides du. 1.. Musiede Lon-. (Revne de Zoologie, VII. 1855.). -. -. du Mexiqueet de V Amirique septentrional e.. (Revue. de Zoologie, IX, 1857.) 3. 4. 5.. Note eurla Famille des Vespides. (Ibid., X, 1858.) Note sur les Polistes Americains. (Ann. Soc. Ent. de France, 1857.) Descripti n de quelques Vespides nouveaux. (Ibid.. 1857.). 6.. Bemerkungen Uber die gattnug Vespa.. 7.. Sur divers V, spides Asiatiques. -•). et. (Entomoi. Zeituue von Stettin.. AJricains du Muse'e de Leyden.. (Ibid...

VU. PREFACE.. my. tunity of extending. studies on the. Wasps. establish the fauna of the. was already. Ilymenoptera of North America.. in possession of. up of such a work.. when me to. offered itself. the Smithsonian Institution was pleased to commission. numerous materials. I. drawing. for the. 1. had brought from that continent considerable my explorations in West India, Mexico,. I. collections, the fruits of. I had likewise acquired collections of and the United States. Ilymenoptera in my passage through this latter country, of Mr. Rath von (Lancaster, Pa.), Mr. Fuch (Tennessee), and others. Prof. Haldemann kindly made me a present of the remnants of. his splendid collection, unfortunately. To. almost destroyed.. these. materials which I had got together as I weut along, there came to be added later, the collections tion forwarded. me from. which the Smithsonian. Institu-. different regions of the "United States.. 1. But I owe a special mention to my friend Mr. Edw. Norton, of Farmington, Connecticut, an excellent entomologist, w ho afforded me the most valuable assistance for the work to which these T. serve as. lines. an introduction, and. who. with. extreme kind-. ness offered to undertake the translation of this volume himself. Finally, I have, moreover, received. some parcels. of insects direct. from divers friends, especially from Tennessee, from Engineur de. Freudenreich Falconnet, Engineer on the Nashville Railroad,. and since then Major. in the. Confederate. through Mr. Berton, Swiss trader at. Army; from. St. Francisco,. California,. and by Mr.. Sutter.. Notwithstanding all these contributions, the collections which brought from America still form the staple of my materials but these subsequent additions are very useful complements. I myself ;. therefore, avail myself of this opportunity to. I,. 1. Hymenoptera from Rock. thank publicly. Island, South Illinois, collected. ". ". ". ". by Kennicott. by Walsh. from Lake Superior, collected by L. Agassiz. from Williamstown, Massachusetts, collected by S. H.. ". ". of the. ". ". from. Illinois, collected. Scudder.. Cape. St.. Lucas, California, collected by John. Xantus. ''. ". from Rio Peros River, collected by Capt. Pope, U.. and various other Hymenoptera. collected. at. S. A.,. Fort. Tejon, California; English River, etc.. The. first five. had been formed by individuals in the interest by explorations carried on by order of government.. collections. of science; the others.

PREFACE.. T j|j. assistance which they the above-mentioned persona for the I ought to name especthem Among me. afforded have kindly Benry, as director of the Smithsonian Institution, and. all. ially. Prof.. who have always shown me the greatest kindness.. Prof. Baird,. ought, however, to inform the reader that, notwithstanding so much help, the work does not contain all the species of America. I. divers. possess. myself. I. distinct. characteristics. without offering. individuals, which,. enough. to be described. from one indi-. unknown.. vidual, nevertheless betray the existence of species yet. Moreover, the larger part of the smaller species seem. have. States,. a. the researches of collectors.. baffled. had. affirm, that,. I. I. now. till. to. do not hesitate to. been able to collect undisturbedly. in. the United. should very likely have brought back from that country. 1. number. species as considerable as that. of small. which. I. have. brought from .Mexico. Bui. books of. and consequently,. use.. I. am. not one of those. exhaust a subject of investigation. opinion that ice,. it may who suppose it. in. On. entomology, as well as. nothing. nothing. perfect,. naturalists put. shall. who. bo,. without. possible to. the contrary, I. in. am. absolutely complete, can. think the contrary, and. who. of. the other branches of. oplished, seeing that everj thing in nature. to. the lot of. is. grow old and become obsolete; and thus, in give way to more complete works. I do not, there-. consider this monograph, incomplete as. fore,. advance graduit. to. their turn, to. its. the natural progress of science to. in. is. ii. toward- completeness;. ally. is. undefined.. be. The. are induced constantly. publication of their labors from believing they. off the. wholly complete them, succeed but too often in losing the. of their studies; either because their writings grow old while lying by, or because the authors are overtaken by death,. fruits. proper method fection,. from. but,. on. in. the study of nature. the contrary, that. approximation. to. is. not that of per-. of approximation.. Because. approximation, we are always getting. nearer exactness and completeness, without ever attaining extreme perfection. that also. it. In that precisely consists the progress of science, is. which gives. to its. and. horizon the depth of infinitude..

PREFACE.. The foregoing was written some. IX. years ago.. In. 18G5 the. manuscript of the memoir was sent to the Smithsonian Institution.. Its publication. was at. first. matter, then by an unfortunate. delayed by the pressure of other fire. which embarrassed the finances. of the Institution, and lastly the slow delays below mentioned.. The book has been. in the press several years, in. of the great loss of time. consequence. caused by the transmission of the proofs. from Europe to America, and vice versa. In consequence of this long period of waiting, I have been. obliged to. make. a review of tho manuscript in reference to the. writings of various entomologists, especially those of Mr. Cresson,. which have been published from year to year, and have changed the names of the species which I had described and have adopted the names given by this author.. I. have not been able, however,. more recent writings of Mr. Cresson, on the Hymenoptera of Texas, which only came to my knowledge when the printing of this book was almost finished. The reader will excuse certain irregularities, consequent upon the difficulty of putting a work into perfect symmetry which was to take account of the. to be printed. on the other side of the Atlantic.. Hence the author. has never had but a part of his work before his eyes at a time,. during the long course of this publication. be noticed in the. des Vespides". is. synonymy. that. my. For example,. work, "Etudes sur. la. it. will. Famille. sometimes cited " Et. Vesp.," sometimes only. So with the "Revue et Magazine de Zoologic," it sometimes cited "Rev. et Mag. de Zoolog.," and sometimes. "Vespides." is. simply. The. ". Rev. de Zool.". larger part of the book was written in French, and has. been translated and corrected by Mr. Edward Norton. to this naturalist also various. I. owe. communications and frequent send-. ings of insects, which have been of great use to me.. H.. De SAUSSTJRE..



INTRODUCTION.. I. propose. Wasps. in this. volume, not to give a general history of the. of America, but only to lay the foundations of the fauna. of the Vespidae of that continent, principally of. North America.. I leave aside whatever concerns the habits of these insects, on which we have but insufficient information, and I shall confine. myself to speaking of them with respect to the genera or species. which. offer salient peculiarities.. This work. is. not to be taken for a mere catalogue of species,. of no further use than to satisfy curiosity.. I think that. zoology ought to tend towards another aim.. The. modern. existence of. species, the composition of fauna, their relations with the parts. of the globe. my. In. which they populate, are not merely accidental facts. we must therein detect the last material and tan-. opinion,. gible manifestation of physiological forces, elucidating the study. of which belongs to the. By him who. domain. of the highest natural philosophy.. adopts this view of the subject, a far-searching study. of species ought to be considered as one of the bases from which. the search after the origin of species. would seem that. may. start.. zoology we should take for a starting, point the actually existing forms in which life manifests itself, and to ascend from them up to the primitive stock; just as in geology, It. we. in. from the actual existing structure of rocks and from the soil, to follow up the concatenation of the ancient events which have brought about as a last result start. external configuration of the. the present state of the earth's crust.. The study of species ought especially to serve as a means of revealing to us their variations and the affinities between them. These affinities point to a common relationship, which is to be explained only by a direct affiliation of the types.. The study ( *i ). of.

INTRODUCTION.. x jj. geographical distribution, comes forms combined with that of their cause of the filiation which the the on light afterwards to throw It serve to reveal to us. species the of resemblances graduated this filiation obeys laws which have also their reguvs. that. they are intimately connected with the physical which hold sway in every region of our globe. ward these grand philosophical queries, zoology ought our time to tend, and species should be studied with a view. larity, in so far as. in. such questions.. to the solution of. As. geology, the study of. in. the actual existing state of the earth's crust, of the. that there take. phenomena. and the appreciation. place, of the intimate trans-. formation of rocks, of the mechanical disturbance of the layers, of their reconstruction under new forms, allows us to draw an inference by analogy as to the more ancient transformations, and the agents which have produced them; so the study of species,. and of their actual existing transformations seems likely to enable us to follow up the chain of these transformations to a point more or less close to their origin.. The. definition of the first divergences observable in the. nent varieties which. may. perma-. be considered as nascent species, in. order to ascend afterwards to the relationship of species separated. by divergences more and more profound, such point of view under which. Zoology, only when considered from philosophical.. means. to. sift. has not. It. questions of. its. a. is,. aim. of the filiation of specie-;. type-;. the. most. is. serves only as a. it. Xow. higher order.. may become. of the. the. point of view. this. itself;. in. precisely the one of the branches of zoology, in. either on account. we deem,. we should never neglect to study. entomology. is. which the study. fruitful in results,. multitude of ramifications of general. ami of the multiplicity of forms under which each type. appears, or on account of the smallness of the breaks which separate genera. and species, or also on account of the immense variety. of forms and of the facility with which species. modified globe. in. difficult. in. seem. to. become. proportion as they spread over the surface of the. diverging ways. to find. Thanks. to. either to follow over latitudes certain. which allow us. all. these causes,. examples of every kind of to. still. filiation,. is. it. not. not. difficult. recent modifications. draw an inference by analogy as. to. other.

INTRODUCTION.. X1I1. modifications more profound because they are more ancient, than as to others of a degree. As may pose. in. more advanced. 1. still. be anticipated from what precedes,. producing this work. a view to. But. origin.. its. The. my. principal pur-. American fauna with. a work of time which can-. this is. completed off-hand.. not be. to study the. is. first. thing to. be done. is. to. study the species carefully, to arrange them according to a good classification,. and. to describe their affinities.. mental preparatory labor. limits. fauna. in this. I. The knowledge. monograph.. That. the funda-. ence with certainty as to the. affinities. themselves so as to prejudge their. of the. filiation.. American draw an infer-. of the. not yet enough advanced to allow us to. is. is. do not pretend to overstep those. species. However,. among I. have. made more than one remark on this topic, and I will hazard a few words on the matter when speaking of genera and species. But I reserve for another. seem. me. work the statement of comparisons which. some. light on the dispersion of the Yespidas on the surface of the globe and on the modifications which have been worked off under diverse latitudes in other terms, on the to. to cast. ;. origin of actual existing fauna.. The complex which. affinities of species,. and. still. more the. filiations. become obvious to the eye only when one has acquired a perfect knowledge of the species and To seize them in all their extent, it is necesgenera of a fauna. arise. from these. sary to know, as. it. affinities,. were,. all. order to be able to take. in. the species of the group by heart it. at. in. a glance, or to examine at. pleasure each part in the picture that one has formed in one's. memory. a group, its. Only when one has attained is it. this point in the. study of. possible, from the inspection of a species, to feel. affinities; for. they do not always appear in the more easily. Unfortunately, in onr times the greater number of entomologists have deviated too far from this philosophical path. They have turned entomology into a sort of amusement which has for object the discovery of 1. new. species; which loses itself in minutise, and at the bottom of which Thanks to this tendency, collecting has ceased. there exists no thought. to be the means,. and has become the. entomology has gradually. object.. In becoming an. amusement. has fallen into the hands of dawThis transformation scientific character.. lost caste. ;. it. and thus lost a part of it^ has led men, who aim at reaching an elevated rank in science, much inclined to withdraw from the field of entomology.. dlers,. to. be too.

INTRODUCTION.. X V 1. often discover themselves in. They. appreciable characteristics.. appearance, which are at times of great certain characteristics of not seized at a glance, or in certain are importance, but which a long practice teaches one to diswhich form, «.f relationships. scarcely be defined. tinguish easily, though they can zoology is the profound knowlphilosophical of basis The first To give as complete an idea as detail of fauna.. edge of the. possible of the fauna of the VESPID2E of. America. is. the purpose. of this volume.. PLAN OF The plan which. I. TTIE. WORK.. have decided on, in drawing up this work,. is. the following:. much. as. give,. I. as. complete description of the. possible, a. America, considering species which belong to the fauna of North continent to the north as such all those which people the new This of the isthmus of Panama, including- likewise the Antilles.. work. is,. therefore,. more. especially a. of the Vespidae. monograph. Besides, I of the United States, of Mexico, and of the Antilles. species all the of catalogue a complement, have added, as a. known. till. now. in. it. a great. in. complete.. geography of. the. the rest of America, and have found. the classification, the method thus becoming more .Moreover, this plan allows me to enunciate views on. advantage. the modifications. insects,. on the dispersion of the species, and on rise. under the influence of diverse. among. the species of South America,. which take. latitudes.. have confined myself,. I. to. cataloguing them, not having sufficient materials to. However,. monograph. beneath. my. eyes. describe them. in. I. for. have. those of which I had. a. Latin diagnoses, in order to. given. a comparative. surrounding species, and,. make. the types. also, in. studies on these insects, to review. manner with respect order to complete. my. to. the. anterior. them and render the use more. easy. 1. think myself bound to add here, that, as to. description,. manner.. appeared. I. Descriptions to. me. characteristics. my method. of. describe the species as far as possible in a relative. less. made. useful,. in. an absolute sense have always. because they. insist. on. and often omit the most important.. many. useless. The reader.

INTRODUCTION.. my. be surprised, therefore, at. will not. XV. not repeating, with respect. to genera, the characteristics peculiar to every species or to the. greatest. number of them.. teristics. which I pass over, considering them rather useless either. In short, there are. still. other charac-. on account of their constancy (such as the presence of silky hairs on the. or on account of their variableness, such as the color. tibia?). of the lower surface of the. fluous. useless developments.. in. means of these super-. prolix by. and thus the essential characteristics are. indications,. drowned. abdomen.. made. Descriptions are often. this way, precision. In. diminished instead of being increased. nothing. is. absolute.. is. Doubtless, here again. Certain isolated species. may. be sufficiently. characterized by some salient traits, while others surrounded by. The. very closely connected species, require minute descriptions. 1 first. condition of good comparative diagnoses resides in a wise co-. ordination of the species which by. way. of exclusion. not like to find. fault, I. may. lead to. Though. choosing only between a small number of species.. I. do. cannot, however, on this score, help com-. plaining of the works in which the species, though described in. an absolute manner (that. is,. by themselves and not comparatively. with others) are jumbled up together without order, without division of genera, often in defiance of the. most salient character-. istics.. Such works, got up in a hurry, the plans of which are laid with a view to the convenience of the authors and not for. down. that of the readers, cause the latter to lose. They do not come up. with no great result.. much. valuable time. to the precision. now. required by the progress of science, and they are therefore behind their time.. The reader cannot occupy. his. mind with incomplete. works, nor can he waste his time in striving to find out species. which are not to be found out In most of. my. ;. for there is. no doing impossibilities.. descriptions, I have been especially attentive to. the forms and characteristics of the forms and carving, attributing. 1. Absolute and very detailed descriptions ought, in ray opinion, to be. employed, when one describes species isolatedly, without knowing the. most closely connected types phical expeditions).. It is. descriptions, both the. (for instance, in the publication of geogra-. the monographer's duty to eliminate, from these. commonplace and the. useless.. But. in a. mono-. graph, the species are to be examined in a comparative manner, and relatively to the adjacent types..

xv. INTRODUCTION.. [. of its frecolor only a sec Miliary importance, on account However, there is nothing absolutely fixed .. the forms and the. nature;. in. likewise vary. sculpture. within. Therefore the descriptions can he only averages in The description number of individuals. certain a from deduced dd represent, as it were, the algebraical formula of the limits.. It is. species, or its ideal type.. not required that this should tally. with the individual, hut, on the contrary, that f. in. practice, the description can never be. drawn from. is. it. should represent. the characteristics of the ensemble of individuals.. number. a certain. so perfect, since. of individuals. idividuals that represent the species.. the reader to. the. know how. description and. may have beneath aims above. all at. the. heterogeneous. individuals. my method. In a word,. It. can hardly. suit. the amateur inclined to. himself in a multiplicity of details, for takes the place of nature, ami for individual. From. i-. whom. whom. the collection. the determination of. the principles jusl laid I. down,. it. follows that in the. Undoubtedly. method. eenient for the reader, for the natural. it. theless,. whatever may i. lie is. it. done. is. preferable to proceed in that wise, for. to seek the natural. sure to remain, as. I. method, a large portion. shall. endeavor to show. study concerning the filiation of the species.. 1. laid. It. i<. varying. l. necessary. down. in. AVe cannot,. abstain too carefully from classification of empirical. therefore, nts.. is. easy to follow than the empirical systems; never-. think that. 1. extreme. have usually preferred the characteristics. taken from the form to those taken from the color.. less. an. the final purpose of the study of a species.. subdivisions of genera,. always. which he. of description. generalizing, and requires that the reader should. likewise.. ralize. It is for. connection that exists between. to seize the. his eyes.. it. and not from the. t. -. observe en this head that no absolute rule can be. as to the subordination of characteristics.. less. than. colors,. they. offer, in. To. lie. sure, forms. general, characteristics. more im-. portant than the latter; hut there is, however, now and then a case in which the colors are more fixed than certain forms, and assume a real. importance— for. stamp peculiar to a certain geoThus, the division Hypodynerns (genus Odynerus), which depends greatly en ti lors and fades, and which comprises the most instanoe, as being the. graphical lone.. divergent forms.. In this case, the livery. becomes the stamp. of a fauna,.

—. XVU. INTRODUCTION.. DIVERSE OBSERVATIONS CONCERNING THE. STUDY OF HYMENOPTERA. IN. GENERAL AND THAT OF THE. VESPIDiE IN PARTICULAR. Observations relative 1st.. I. make. to the. Synonymy.. if it. is. Bhynchium. spell. name;. a rule always to respect the most ancient. it. wrongly constructed and if it can be without inconvenience, I do not scruple to correct it. however,. instead of. Rhygchium. Latr.. rectified. Thus I Odynerus Bus-. tellosi instead of 0. Bustellos Sauss., etc.. When two. 2d.. names have been. different. affixed at the. same. date to the same species, I prefer that of the two which has been. employed by the next subsequent authoi'. 3d. I add the name of the author of a species only to its specific name. Consequently when the genus changes, I nevertheless maintain for the species the Thus,. it.. I write:. name. Odynerus. described this species under the. Monte zumia Leprieurii the species under the. name. of the author. 4:-dens Lin.,. who. first. named. although Linnaeus has. name Vespa. i-dens.. Spin., although Spinola has described. of. Odynerus Leprieurii.. Otherwise no author's name would long keep. who act differently do so in own names for that of the primitive. its. ground;. besides those. order to substitute. their. describer.. Such a. proceeding cannot be too strongly censured.. Let. it. not be said that there are drawbacks to the advantages. of that nomenclature, for. name. if it. be desirable to. as given by the first author,. it. know. will be found,. the complete. such as. it is,. synonymy.. in the 4th.. nor in. I. admit neither collection names, nor manuscript names, names. I admit for author's name only the name. letteris. who has first described the species or genus. manner of acting becomes the source of profitless research and of waste of time. Whoever is anxious to affix his. of him. Any. and. is. other. very important.. that the colors vary less);. but there are. whilst the forms vary.. B. In the succession of species. it is. generally observed. much, even when the forms remain fixed (or vary other cases in which it is color that remains stationary.

INTRODUCTION.. xv iii. for this. that another has the task of describing;, may purpose publish previously a short diagnosis under his. name. any journal.. name. to a species. in. \ion relative I" the. In i. insects. general, the female represents the type of the. in. Though,. es-. exceptional. in. more beautiful, ami. larger, the. Types in Description.. may. the male. eases,. be. the. times with unusual appendages,. at. Among the he remains always more variable than the female. to play than part other any hardly Bymenoptera, the males have a. the other sex. passive one;. remarkable habits. of. stable. in. renders ies. activity. these their. it. is. which. which alone develops that itself. in. the. interesting. The females are larger and more The slightest examination forms and colors. soughl. it. is. among. the females the type of the. and by no means among the males.. for,. In the Vespidse, especially. among. the .Solitary. Wasps, the males. and variable at times, one would be inclined to conthem as abortions; they do not oiler us good differential sties as the females, and tbey are to be determined. are small sider. is,. insects.. apparent that to be. it. manifests. ;. only by the tentative. method. in referring. them "de visu". to their. ctive females.. There exists a number of species of which the males resemble each other bo for instance,. far as nol to. among. certain. be distinguishable.. Odynerus, but. it is. This may be seen, especially. among. Scolia that this phenomenon appears in all its intensity. There ia a whole category of species in the genus Elis of which. the. the female, offer differences the. most extreme, but of which the males are so confounded that they cannot be distinguished from other.. What to. is. most remarkable on this score. each continent numbers several of them.. America. :. Africa:. is,. that these. found spread over every continent, and that. be. Thus:. Elis plumipes, limosa, trifasciata, dorsata, etc. s. collaris,. capensis,. elegans,. ofricana, fascia-. tella, etc.. Ihoracica, annulata, marginella, limbata.. Australia:. Europ. Elis ra. Ma,. villosa.. Z-cim. ta,. etc..

—. —. INTRODUCTION.. Some. of these species. may. XIX. doubtless be distinguished by their. (E. villosa), or by the examination of their wings (E. Z-. size. cincta) there. ;. is. but in most cases,. not. if it is. known where they come from,. no possibility of determining them, not even of referring. by sight to their females.. The same. may. fact. among. be noticed in a very developed state. other species of Elis which present another system of coloring.. Thus. and which forms a part of the subgenus Trielis. Elis interrwpta (Europe). the. Xantiana. texensis (Texas). (Cali-. fornia),. though. offering females very different. from each other, coincide. in the males. I. do not pretend. to affirm, I only. perfectly identical.. however, that. mean. these males are. all. that they are so close neighbors. that I have not succeeded in finding between. them. differential. characteristics which appear to distinguish them.. The preceding. show that the femaie ought,. will suffice to. at. all events, to be taken as type of the species.. Preparation.. In a great. and no. many. collections,. legs of the hymenoptera.. utility for study,. is. it. This. usual to spread the wings is. mere amateur's work, of. sometimes even quite opposed. to the. purpose. by dissimulating the character of the insects instead of exposing it to view. This practice is to be regretted, moreover, by its increasing the value of the insects, on account of the time in view,. and expense wasted thereby, place. them. in the softener. so that. when. it. one. is. loath afterwards to. becomes necessary. to dissect. the mouth. It is usual with. me. to prepare each of. my. insects only. about to study them, because by so doing softened them, give them whatever arrangement. I can, after. may. when. having. be best cal-. culated for bringing into relief such special characteristics as are particularly useful in the group to ful characteristics are. which. it. belongs.. As. the use-. not the same in each group, the preparation. Of the Epijwna % the to vary according to the species. mandibles are to be opened, the legs to be stretched downwards, so that it may be possible to examine distinctly the haunches and. ought. thighs;. of the. Odynerus I, approximate. to. the group of 0..

INTRODUCTION.. xx. be lengthened oat, in order to judge nasidens, the antennae arc to. r. etc.. terminations,. ie ir. almost. ,„-. Wasps, but particularly. Solitary. the. all. for the. be able to distinguish. ,„,, iL is essentially necessary the metathorax. clearly the characteristics of to. .. Now. this cannot. by separating the wings in a transbe effected otherwise than the abdomen ,„. ra ther downward, and by bending directi(m. .. means, become. at the. same time easy. evidently, very different from ing them out/. ,,t. This posture. to study.. that given to the insects. is,. by spread-. ran affirm, that, whenever one has neglected to metathorax and the abdomen. I. insect this posture, the. the. to. the basis of which will, by tins. possible,. as far as. downward. them, elves under the most. ,lelu>ive aspect,. and may give. to describing an. As. serious misconceptions.. the mosl. Odynerus properly without having taken this precaution, it is an One may, if need be, bend downwards the abdoimpossibility. men without softening the insect; but then, if the wings are directed backwards, even obliquely, they are. enough in the way. produce delusive appearances when the magnifying glass. to. is. ased.. Th. true especially for the Odynerus, apply. rvations,. likewise to all the sessile. On. \. entrated or semi-pedicellated Yespidae.. Determination of insects.. the. There are two manners of proceeding,. One. is. analytical,. for the. other. the. determination of. synthetical,. the former. employed by amateurs, the latter by naturalists. The first method consists, when Inning taken an individual insect, in turning over the leaves of a book. supposes. to. have. in. hit. search of the. name. on the description.. of the species. till. one. This method seldom. leads to certainty, often to error.. The second method requires a. To procure. ble in individuals. all. things. to. devote his. after specimens.. of each species, tic In difficult. eil'orts. The greater. start. numerous as possiought before. the entomologist. to a persevering. the. more certain. number. th*'. and active chase. of the representatives. determination will become.. performances, we must always begin with the more easy. and proceed from the simple tor,',. collection as. it,. We. to the complex. must, thereby separating the most salient and most easy genera to.

XXI. INTRODUCTION. study them. As. nation.. Afterwards we must continue by way of. first. it. is. the difficult genera, that. for. it. elimi-. especially. is. important to adopt a good method,' let us choose, for instance, the genus Odynerus and its approximates; it surely will answer our. Let us suppose that the pedunculiveutrated genera have already been separated and that we have remaining only the sessiliveutrated, say the genera Alastor, Monobla, Pteropurpose thoroughly.. chylus, Odynerus. First. we. will. exclude the Alastor, by the process of viewing. Scarcely any other will remain than the Odynerus and the Monobia; their species will at first appearance strike one as an inextricable jumble.. of the wings.. For the moment, we. will. not trouble ourselves. about the. We. will, there-. Monobia, which are rare and southerly species.. begin by confining ourselves to setting aside the Ancistrocerus and the Symmorjjhus, characterized by the suture of the on the first abdominal segment, and we can then enter directly. fore,. But even here we. study of the species.. will. advance as. far as. possible without the assistance of books.. The next operation. consists in sorting out the. males and females. With in order to occupy ourselves exclusively with the latter. males the since rapidly, a little practice this separation proceeds of the. northern regions. are. distinguishable. mostly by their. For whatever may concern the excepentirely yellow clypeus. offering the same character, or from females the tions (either from the males not offering. it). one has. still. as object of consultation,. the form of the antennae, organs which in most males are. generally terminated by a hook or a spiral.. At. last,. more. as a final. and as an infallible means, we remove all doubts by The £, have only counting the number of abdominal segments.. resource,. 7,. the ? only. We. 6.. will first. occupy ourselves only with the ? and will group This is a work of. the individuals by species on small boards.. time and patience.. To. succeed,. we. will. make. use of every. appreciable characteristic, even of the most empirical ones.. In. sorting out in this manner, the colors are always of the greatest assistance because they are obvious to the eye.. One. must, as. much as possible, subordinate the importance of the spots to a graduated order, in beginning with the most fixed and character-.

INTRODUCTION.. xxii. as for instance the spots. istic,. Thus. scutellum.. Range together. on the scutellum and of the post-. :. the species with post-scutellum alone yellow. " " scutellum alone spotted yel-. all. ". low.. ". ". ". ". ". scutellum and post-scutellum both spotted,. Then come. the anterior and posterior borders of the prothorax;. then the stripes of the. Thus you come. i<>. abdomen, the spots of the metathorax,. reducing will at. ;. but,. no matter, the work of through. arrive and will be easily carried. last. have been studied and known, as. shall. etc.. form more species than are really existing,. every variety becoming a species. when species. etc.. it. were,. by. heart.. Then we may look. into. books and try to determine each species. while having, beneath one's eyes, the ensemble of individuals.. Bere we can get on only by groping about a long time in Often after comparing these similar individuals. uncertainty.. two species which. shall detect. at. first. we. had been confounded.. by two inverse proceedown observations the greater number of species, the entomologist often knows them already sufficiently to guess to what species such and such a. The determination can. He. description belongs,. ami seek ami. be carried on. After having sorted out apart by one's. ings.. the descripl ion. passing. in. Bcription e. in. suits. it,. or start from a description,. review his series seek. adapted.. is. can, therefore, either start from a species. which. 1. into each oilier. what species. to. repeatedly,. when one has beneath. one's. Indeed,. when. eyes, a large ensemble of well-separated species.. making use of for. one. is. the. proceeding, one often. falls into. often struck with the description of such. -alient character. Thus. first. this de-. .Moreover, these two manners of proceeding. which one recollects having observed. the second,. and such a in a species.. the search after one species leads to the determination of. another.. The work hastens along with accelerated motion and. leads to results the more certain as each species. is. represented. by a larger number of individuals comprising most of the possible. 1. For. tin's. purpose short descriptions,. i.. e.,. once he OOmmitted to memory, are very useful.. diagnoses,. which. may. at.

XXU1. INTRODUCTION. varieties.. In this entirely empirical labor, any process, even. expedients are allowable. Nevertheless, when one gets to the groups, in which the species lie. close together, one. is. often puzzled, and there remains no. way. of exclusion.. Once the females determined, proceed. to. an analogous. out and grouping of the males by species. female species. its. sorting-. Attribute to each. respective male, beginning by the more easy. and proceeding always by. way. of exclusion.. This. is. a tentative. work, in which one succeeds satisfactorily only when familiarized with a group which. is. being studied.. As to separating at the outset the Monobia from the Odynerus, the Symmorphus from the Ancisirocerus, the Odynerus from the Epipona, that cannot be done without being well acquainted with these groups so as to place therein at once the insects according to their facies.. If one is not far. enough advanced. to. do. so, this. separation will result quite naturally from the work of determination. nevertheless, to distinguish the Monobia,. ;. it. will be neces-. sary to dissect the mouth.. With. that operation,. we may. finish,. because we shall have no. more to seek but among a small residue of species, whereas had we begun by establishing that distinction, we should have been obliged to dissect the mouths of all the Odynerus which have been excluded from this operation by the mere fact of their determination.. A. work of determination made according. to this. manner. of proceeding will afford synoptical views that alone will permit. one to appreciate the true relations of species. other,. it. will. prepare the. entomologist to. Better than any. give. comparative. descriptions taken from a general point of view which will not lose itself in worthless details..



;. ANALYTICAL TABLE. PAGK. Family VESPIDiE. .......... ........ ........ .11 .12 ........ ......... 1. Tribe Masaris.2e. 3. Gen. Trimeria Sauss.. Gem. Tribe Odyherin.* I.. II.. 4. Masaris Fab. .. 4. .. The Anomalipennes. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Gen. Gayella Spin.. 13. The Normalipennes Legion I. The Zethites. 13 13. ..... ......... Gen. Zethus Fabr. Division Zethus (sensu strictiore) Division Heros. Division Zethusculus A.. ........ 13 ll>. 17 18. Antennae of the males terminated by a rolling-up spiral a. b.. 19. Petiole presenting a nodulous or ovoid expansion. ... ..... Swelling of the petiole cylindrical * Metathorax not excavated. ** Metathorax excavated. 23. 23. the excavation mar-. ;. .... gined with sharp carinas. Thorax short, quadrate or rounded ff Thorax elongate, attenuated anteriorly, f. .. .. 25. 23. ellip-. 27. tical. B. Antenna? of the males terminated a.. 19. hy. a. hook. .. .. 29. Species having the appearance of the true Zethus.. Head more wide than high. ;. thorax short, not. being one and a half times longer than wide dilatation of the petiole elliptical or cylindrical,. a. contracted behind. little. ;. the second segment of. the abdomen in form of a globular bell 8.. .. .. 29. Species which have more the appearance of Eu-. menes or Disccelius.. lowed out length sion a. ;. Head. at the occiput. petiole. more. less inflated, less hol;. thorax of moderate. as in the. ..... Eumenes. (. of Divi-. XXV. ). 39.

ANALYTICAL TABLE. PACE. >. „.. much. Petiole quite linear, filiform, depressed, very. elongate, as in Eumenes of Division of a Culligaster C. Species. which. antennae. .. •. •. .. Facies. £.. .42. •. •. do not know, and of which the have not been described. I. ( £, ). .... .. 43. .. .45. Division Didyinogastra Perty A. Antenna' of the males terminated by a rolled spiral. ('.. of. .. Gen. Labns Sauss <. . .. -. ii. .. 45. .50. % terminated by a hook Species of which the section remains undetermined. Antennae. B.. Disccelius l.utr.. m. 11.. a.. Eumenes Fair.. .. 51. ........ ........ ....... ........ The Odynerites. 56 58. 59. .. 59. CO. Division Fachymenes. Form rather lengthened; thorax longer than wide; abdomen ha idly depressed, the 2d segment not. 1.. campanula!. -. 61. A. Petiole campannlar, enlarged above beyond the. middle, humped, the boss divided by a groove;. a. b.. its extremity bordered by a salient band Thorax rather compressed, lengthened Thorax not compressed, moderately wide. .. 61. .. 62. .. 63. ..... ......... 66. .. B. Petiole pyriform, depressed, less intlated above,. not divided by a groove Division Omicron. 68. A. Thorax quite short, cubic-globular, larger than the. pear of the abdomen B.. C.. ;. 2d segment. the. of this. wider than long (as in genus Tatua), wide-globular. 69. Thorax a little more long than wide. The 2d segment of abdomen sometimes rather elongate Thorax not so wide longer than broad not larger,. 75. ;. ;. or even smaller than the pear of the. (Form very much. abdomen.. as in Division Alpha.). .. .. Division Beta a.. Mandibles. rounded. £3 88. short,. pointed. in. the. males. ;. blunt,. at tip, with separated small teeth iu the. females. 88. Mandibles more elongate, not truncate, rather hooked at tip. with strong teeth on the interior margiu Division Alpha (Eumenes propria dicti) 6.. ..... .. ...... A. Large speeies, with black wings.. The pear. 90 92. of the. abdomen rather depressed abdomen more globular. 93. or compressed.. 95. B. Smaller species, with the. (Regular type of Division Alpha).

XXV 11. ANALYTICAL TABLE.. PAGE a. b.. ..... Wings smoky, with violet iridescence Wings transparent or yellowish. .. .. .. ........ $ Second abdominal segment without low spots. 95. 98. lateral yel-. ** Second abdominal segment with a yellow spot on each side (sometimes wanting in variety) *** Second abdominal segment having on each. .... ..... .......... 98. 101. side a yellow fascia, or a complete transverse. yellow band on c.. its. middle. Species of uncertain origin. Division Zeta. ....... ......... ....... .... ....... Gen. Montezumia Sauss. Head flattened before. Division Antezumia.. 2.. Abdomen. diet.). pediculate. A. Thorax moderately lengthened,. .. .. abdominal segment funnel-shaped, convex, divided by a Vertex somewhat swollen feeble groove. .. Wings transparent or ferruginous b. Wings obscure, smoky, fuscous or black * Body more or less ferruginous ** Body quite black B. Head strongly dilated on the vertex behind the .. .. Thorax much lengthened.. eyes.. abdomen depressed. of the. I. B. Metathorax rounded,. A.. First. .. 119. .. .. 119. 124. segment. or flattened. distinct groove. 118. .. above .. .. unarmed. 127 127 127. 129 129. 129 132. 132. Abdomen. conical the first segment wide and trunHinder portion of the metathorax bordered ;. by trenchant. Abdomen. ovalo-conical. rounded,. rounded. ....... ridges and. a dentiform angle B.. 118. 118. II. cate.. 117. 117. .. A. Metathorax bispinose. Division. 114. .. ....... ....... ........ ...... ..... and divided by a very Division Parazumia Division Pseudozumia Gen. Monobia Sauss.. 113. first. a.. Division. 110. Abdomen. segment of the abdomen subsessile. First. 105. 105. (Appearance nearly like some Pachy-. pediculate.. menes) Division Metazumia Division Montezumia (propr. 1.. 102. ;. armed on each the. first. its. 132. segment more. less truncate, less sessile. :. side with. Metathorax. ........ concavity not bordered above by. trenchant ridges. 134.

ANALYTICAL TABLE.. SXViii. PAGE On each. ,i.. metathorax a dentiform angle. side of. .. Metathorax without distinct spiuiform angles C. Abdomen slightly fusiform, enlarging as far as the the 1st segment a extremity of the 2d segment .. 6.. 134 137. ;. funnel-shaped, divided by a feeble longitu-. little. ...•••< ...... ....... ..... Thorax lengthened. dinal groove. i.. Nortonia Sauss.. 139. 142. Gen. Rhynchium Latr. i.. Odynerus Latr.. 143. ...... Definition of the subgenera. 149. Subgenus Symmorphus Wesm. o. Segments 1-4 of the abdomeu bordered with yellow ts c.. abdomen bordered with yellow of the abdomen bordered with. 1,3, 4 of the. Segments. I,. 2 only,. ...... ........ yellow. Subgenus Ancistrocerus Wesm.. Division Ancistrocerus (properly speaking). Table. to assist. Ancistrocerus. all. .. its. ..... around by trenchant ridges. .. 159. .. .. 163. Form. i. Body more gathered, normal, but the thorax Still. 6.. slender. lengthened, but less slender. sensibly longer than wide. Metathorax destitute. .. of strong spines. .. .. .. .. Metathorax bavin,' two strong spines Thorax cubical, nearly .. .. ...... ....... L60. lb'7. 167. 173. Form very stubbed.. D.. as long as. The concavity. wide. lateral angles. remaining. .. .. Body. .. .. .. .. .177. a.. Post-scutel strongly truncate. 6.. Post-scutel not truncate, angulate posteriorly. not. distinctly marginate.. not slender, of normal form <(.. Abdomen nearly. b.. Abdomen more. conical.. 2d segment not reftexed.. .. .. ;. 177. 179. Body .. .. The border of the Body velntinous. ovalo-oonical. 177. mar-. gined, but without distinct angles. slender, elongate. Metathorax. 175. metathorax forms no distinct. of the. A. Posterior tare of metathorax. B.. 158. .. 13. .. 157. .. Form lengthened, still. r. l- >5. 157. concavity angulate, bordered. A.. a.. II.. .. 152 153. the determination of the species of. in. .Metathorax having. I.. .. 151. 180 180. the border of. 2d segment rugose or refiexed. .. .. .. 1S1.

ANALYTICAL TABLE.. c.. Abdomen. not as. sessile;. XXIX. its. first. segment which. distinctly narrower than the second, is. in the. hawk's bell, with a Metathorax not excavated. shape. of a. reflexed margin. in the. ........ form of a wide cavity, but of a wide. channel. Division Stenancistrocerus. .. .. .. .. ..... Table to assist in the determination of the species of Division Stenancistrocerus 1.. Form lengthened. tally. 191. Metathorax prolonged Horizon-. ........ behind the post-seutel, then truncate ver-. tically, etc. 2.. 188. .189. .. Form very. 192. Metathorax not so distinctly produced behind the post-scutel its conslender.. ;. cavity large, etc. 195. A. First segment of the. abdomen rather funnel-. shaped or bell-shaped, truncate anteriorly. abdomen. B. First segment of the. longed. 195. .. form of a prorather squarely-rounded, about. bell,. in. ....... as wide as the second segment, not con-. tracted before a. 6.. segment sharply truncate anteriorly First abdominal segment more rouuded anteFirst. riorly, rather like a 3.. square bell. .. 198. .. 19S. .. 199. Form slender, but the abdomen sometimes slender, sometimes ovoid, especially among the £ .. The. segment cupuliform, narrower than having the suture indistinct, often. first. the 2d,. presenting a transverse fluting bordered by. two traces of sutures. Concavity of the metathorax generally small, its borders in206. distinct a.. Suture of the strong. what b.. ;. margined. 206. abdominal segment not so Excavation of metathorax having. Suture of the. its. ..... excavation of the metathorax some-. distinctly. strong.. abdominal segment rather. first. first. ...... ........ edges rounded, without precise limits. .. Division Hypancistrocerus. Division Ancistroceroides. .. Subgenus Odynerus Latr. (sensu Division Hypodynerus. .. .. strictiore). .. .. .. .. 209. 210. .211. .. 212 213. Table to assist in distinguishing the species of the Division. Hypodynerus. .. .. .. .. .. .216.

ANALYTICAL TABLE.. XXX. segment of the abdomen bell-shaped, pyriAppearlittle comb-shaped.. First. I.. ...... form, uniformly a. ance of Montezumia. segment. First. II.. rior. and. abdomen. of the. a superior fare. offering. 218. an ante-. separated by a sort of. ........ transverse ridge or swelling (the true Hypo-. dynerus). Form lengthened;. A.. much. small, nodi form or pedunculiform, very. narrower than the 2d. ;. lengthened triangle. Form. B.. shorter, wider;. posterior border;. ...... anterior face in a. its. segment wide on. first. its. superior face large. its. little. 222. .. Wings rufous along the anterior band b. Wings fuscous, with violet iridescence Form very wide, short and depressed, first segment very wide its anterior face sessile, in. a.. C.. 219. its. anterior face in the. form of an equilateral triangle and a pedicellate;. 219. abdominal segment. first. .. 222 224. ;. the form of a wide triangle. very short.. Form. D.. '.>—4. ;. its. superior face. times as wide as long. 225. chubby, but not so much metathorax rounded, flat or con-. quite. also. depressed. ;. vex behind, smooth, without marginal edges first segment of the abdomen very short its ;. ;. .... ..... superior face transverse-linear. of a Vespa.). Division Pachodynerus. Table. to assist. in. .. .. .. (Appearance. distinguishing the species of the. Division Pachodynerus 1st. 227 228 229. Section.— Thorax cubical (at least among the males) or square, lengthened. Abdomen conical. ;. the. first. the second. ..... segment very. A. All the segments except the yellow. large, as. first. wide as. a.. Metathorax forming a lateral angle on each. b.. Metathorax rounded, not forming on each side a dentiform angle. Bide. B. All the. .. b.. 231 231. 236. abdominal segments margined with yel-. low or rufous a.. 230. bordered with. Superior edges of metathorax not sharp Superior edges of metathorax sharp .. 237 237 238.

ANALYTICAL TABLE.. C.. Only the. first. XXXI. two abdominal segments margined (The 3d and 4th sometimes. with yellow.. indistinctly marginate.). 2d. Section.. — Form. ;. thorax length-. ened square or retracted behind. Abdomen less conic, more cylindrical or depressed All the segments of the abdomen, except the first, bordered with yellow. a.. .. Abdomen. b.. Division Odynerus. Table. 240. ;. more lengthened. .. .. 244. .. 244. ........ varied with black and rufous. .. .. 245. 247. Odynerus Pachodynerus. 247. ........ 249. to assist in distinguishing the Division. and Stenodynerus, with regard. to. .. Table to assist the determination of the species of Division Odynerus Section. I.. — Post-scutel. sharply truncate;. verse edge often crenulate. or. ovate-conical;. it. conical. segment not the first segment in-. ;. ..... very naturally. 1. Posterior plate of. Abdomen. trans-. the second. strangulated at base. cluding. its. 252. metathorax angulate, forming. on each side a. lateral dentiform angle. .. 252. A. Concavity of the metathorax polygonal, margined with straight or arcuate ridges,. which form at their meeting a sharp angle. The superior lateral edges superiorly terminating. in a tooth or. eminence, sepa-. ..... rated from the post-scutel by a deep fissure, or. a.. by a notch. Ridges of the metathorax very salient;. posterior face excavated * Posterior margin of 2d and 3d abdominal segments reflexed ** Posterior margin of 2d and 3d abdominal .. .. .. ..... ....... segments not reflexed, but 'impressed and rough b.. The hinder. face of. metathorax more. ;. spines behind the post-scutel. slight,. .. 252. 252. 255. flat-. tened its superior edges not so salient * The superior ridges forming two elevated. ** The superior edges. 252. its. .. 262. 262. metathorax very only forming behind the postof. scutel two very small teeth. .. .. 264.

ANALYTICAL TABLE.. XXXii. PAGE B.. in Section A,. Metathorax as edges of. its. no. elevated,. but the superior. hinder plate not so much longer forming, in the. females, distinct teeth behind the post-. 265. scutel, etc. Metathorax excavated; edges straight. a.. 2. .. Metathorax more flattened; the superior edges roughened, not acute C. Hinder plate of metathorax no longer margined superiorly by sharp edges; lateral. 5. /,.. .. angles 2.. still. existing. .. .. .. .. ..... or less rounded, not forming. A. Posterior plate of metathorax with sharp edges, salient. summit. 1. on each side 281. margined. still. superior. in its. and forming on each side. part,. 27'. .. more. Posterior plate of metathorax orbicular or. a distinct dentiform angle. 2b'8. .. .. the. at. a tooth or elevation, separated. from the post-scutel by a fissure (sometimes very small). .. .. .. .281. .. The concavity deep, excavated, with. a.. ...... Abdomen. ent ridges.. sharply truncate. conical. metathorax. Posterior plate of. b.. sali-. ;. base. its. less. 281. exca-. marginal edges but slightly. vated;. its. salient,. although. still. Abdomen. sharp.. ovate-conical, slightly attenuated at base B. Posterior plate of. 285. metathorax no longer mar-. ..... gined with sharp ridged, and not forming st-scutellar teeth. pi. Posterior plate of metathorax. a.. much. vated, margined with salient, blunt,. rough edges b.. ;. its. .. .. .. .. and. .290. metathorax more flatmargins rounded and punc-. Posterior plate. tened. .. of. 292. tured Section. II.. — Bodyyet. sile. ;. stubbed, not slender, nor cylin-. Abdomen. drical.. 290. exca-. not conical, but. still. ses-. the 1st segment smaller than the 2d,. stronglyor more strongly punctured than the 2d. :. the 2d constricted at base to. fit. into. and more or less deformed having its margin very strongly canaliculate and refiexed. and more or less swelled before the channel. the. first. ;. 297.

;. ANALYTICAL TABLE.. XXX111. PAGE A. Metathorax not narrowed below, mucli excavated, with very sharp edges. bituberculate B.. ;. abdomen. post-scutel. ;. quite deformed. 297. .. Metathorax triangular, narrowed posteriorly, not so much excavated, with sharp supePost-scutel not crested. Second. rior ridges.. ...... abdominal segment channelled and reflexed, scarcely swollen. 299 301. Division Stenodynerus. Table to assist in the determination of the Stenodyneri. 304. Metathorax having its posterior plate superiorly terminated by two erect teeth, or by an erect. I.. 309. crest. A. Metathorax not prolonged beyond the postscutel, but truncate at its apex, posteriorly excavated, angnlate on each side the superior edges of the posterior plate terminating ;. in. two erect spines, which are separated from. the post-scutel by deep fissures B. Metathorax. truncate,. excavated. .. ;. .. .. 309. superiorly. margined by an arcuate ridge, rather crenulate, separated on each side from post-scutel. by a C.. fissure. ........ 310. Metathorax produced then horizontally beyond the post-scutel. Form. not very slender.. ;. vertically. truncate;. enveloped by. it. post-scutel. the. quite. posteriorly, not reaching. to the edge of the posterior face of. up. metathorax. the posterior face of metathorax superiorly terminating in an erect crest, parted by a fissure.. bercles II.. ........ Vertex in 9 haviug two pilose tu-. 311. Metathorax not forming erect spines or crests behind the post-scutel.. Its. superior face not. produced behind the post-scutel.. This last. not posteriorly truncate, but angular.. Post-. scutel generally yellow, scutel usually black 1.. Body. slender, cylindrical.. 312. Concavity of the. metathorax wide, sometimes rather distinctly limited. First abdominal segment bell-shaped, rather elongate, widely rounded Thorax anteriorly, sessile or subsessile. rather elongate, vaulted, subcylindrical. .. 312.

xxx. j. ANALYTICAL TABLE.. v. PAGE thej>ostA. Metathorax slightly prolonged under scutel beyond it, being truncate before its. concavity margined with sbarp edges,. nearly angulate on each side Abdomen slender, cylindrical;. ment as wide. as the second.. first. seg-. Body. vel-. 313. vety B. Metathorax scarcely, or not distinctly produced under the post-scntel, beyond it Abdomen elongate, cylindrical, with ihe 1st .. segment as wide as the 2d, elongate; or ovoid-elongate with the 1st segment a little. * The. narrower, rounded. .. .. 313. .. and 2d abdominal segments each adorned with two yellow spots, or fascia? beside their marginal fascia ** Only the second abdominal segment 1st. 313. .. adorned with two yellow spots which are. i. ........ fteu wanting, principally in the. males. *** No free yellow spots on the abdominal segments. first. .. .. Form. less cylindrical, not. much. 321. two. .. 327. .. elongated, the. thorax often short, and wide anteriorly,. Metathorax more rounded; its fossette generally small, but always distinct. Abdomen ovoid. contracted posteriorly.. convex,. or irregular, the. first. segment narrower than. the Second, not truncate anteriorly, not as ses.-ile;. in. second segment more swelled than. the preceding, sliort and convex, con-. tract"'] at. base to. fit. into the. first. .. 332. .. A. Form rather stouter, abdomen rather wide in the middle, but yet attenuated hefore.. The a.. meta-. fossette of the posterior face of. thorax rounded, always distinct. .. .. 333. Thorax but slightly adorned with yellow; (sometimes quite black, with a yellow spot under the wing). Mack b.. ;. or adorned with. post-scntel quite. two yellow dots. .. 333. Anterior martin of prothorax adorned with yellow, but not. the posterior margin. the yellow fascia. of'. rupt.'.!.. :. en bilobed or inter-. Fossette of metathorax large,. rather triangular, occupying nearly the. whole width of the metathorax. .. .. 334.

—. XXXV. ANALYTICAL TABLE.. * Sometimes there are two. ** No c.. lateral. spots. little free. on the 2d abdominal segments. 334. .. yellow spot on the abdomen. Posterior margin of prothorax,. and. .. 335. often. also the anterior margin bordered with. yellow.. (Insects often velvety.). d. Prothorax quite yellow above.. post-scutel yellow 3.. III.. Body. elongate, slender. ;. 340. .. Scutel. and 346. .. the. abdomen. especial-. ly, very slender. Metathorax convex, having no longer a distinct excavation, but sooner parted by a large groove, which separates its two cheeks. Abdomen slender, spindleshaped; the first segment elongate, funnelshaped, sometimes subpedunculate Metathorax not produced superiorly beyond the. post-scutel,. convex;. by a deep groove. having a sharp edge A. Metathorax quite B. Metathorax cles,. its. hinder face parted. ...... Post-scutel truncate. unarmed superiorly. .. .. 352 352. armed superiorly with two tuber-. sometimes very small. Subgenus Epiponua Division Antepiponus Division Epiponus Appendix to the genus Odynerus. 34(5. 3R5. 360 361. 363. 364. (ien. Leptochilus Sanss.. 366. Gen. Fterochilns King.. 368. Gen. Ctenochilus. Suits*.. Gen. Alastor Lepei. Gen. Smitliia Smiss.. Appendix. St. .. Farg.. 372 373 37S. 379. Index. 3«1. Explanation of Plates. 386.



VESPID^l. AMERICA Family VESPIDJE. Characters.. — Wings folded longitudinally when. Prothorax extended backward as. i'ar. at rest.. as the origin of the. wings. Mouth. Mandibles variable. Lip quadrifid or quadrilobed, sometimes only bifid; labial palpi not having more than four articles; maxillary not more than six articles. Antennas elbowed, forming either a lengthened or a subfiliform club, composed of twelve articles in the females, and thirteen in the males. Eyes emarginate (except Paragici). Abdomen sessile (without apparent petiole) or pedicellate, composed of seven segments in the males and of six in the females, and armed with a retractile sting. Legs slender, without hairs. Wings always presenting two recurrent nervures and three or four cubital cells. Both sexes are always winged.. The Vespidas at rest).. It. especially. is. are easily recognized. among. ;. 2d,. always very. distinct,. the Masarinse and Haphiglossinse, but in this. case one identifies. antennae. by their folded wings (when. true, this character is not. them with certainty:. by. 1st,. their elbowed. by their prothorax, which, instead of forming a. knobbed or transverse. collar, offers a distinct. upper surface, pro-. longed on each side as far as the wing scales;. 1. 3d, also. by. their. As among the Pom}>ili<lce and Pepsidce, from which they are distinguished especially by their elbowed antennas, prolonged into clubs, by 1. their folded wings, etc. 1. (1).

HYMENOPTERA OF AMERICA. appearance, which. general. much more. is. [PART. I.. than. easily detected. described.. The. Vespida. habits of the. some. ial,. are. some being. quite different;. by rapine, and some parasitic.. solitary, living. These three moral tendencies correspond to the special forms which characterize the groups, into which we have separated the following subfamilies:. Masakin/r. or Parasitic Wasps.. I.. — Wings having an indistinct duplica-. Antennae sometimes enlarged into a club, their last articles often ed together. Prothorax generally convex before. Scute! superposed. tion.. upon. aws of tarsi general); unidentate; posterior and intererminated by two articulate spines. Lip quadrifid or bifid.. i. niedi. Wings having but three II.. cubital cells.. Ki'mknix/H or Odynkkjx/K. 1. —Wings. duplication, always offering four cubital cells.. distinct forni.. with the articles distinct.. tarsi. unidentate.. — Having. Eumeninae, but the claws of the. having a very distinct duplication. The Masarina can. tarsi ;. the. ;. It. in. In. the. by the inner neurawasps pre-. but the solitary and social. they are always. hardly be deemed superfluous to give here a. will. table of empirical characters. them. as. the wings always. the lip short, quadrilobed.. few distinctive general characters, that puzzling.. suhfili-. Claws of the. same characters. not toothed;. easily be distinguished. tion of their wings, etc.. having a more. Antennae. Lip lengthened, quadrifid.. Wasps.. Yksimn.t:. or Social. III.. Eyes slightly emarginate.. or Solitary Wasps.. which may. assist in distinguishing. every case.. my. ". Etudes sur. have given to this tribe genus of the tribe. as the genua Odynerus is much more important, and as the tribe Vespina is named after a sessile genus, I have thought best to adopt in 1. the. la. Famille des Vespides". I. ens (Eumeninai), after the oldest. rence that of Odyneriens (Odynerince) for the sake of conformity in the. names. of both tribes..

VESPID.E.. Solitary Wasps.. Social Wasps.. (Odynerinne.). Mandibles often long and sharp, or having lateral teeth. Labial palpi with three or four. articles.. Maxil-. (Vespinse.). Mandibles always short and obliquely truncate, with the teeth rather. ter-. Labial palpi always with. minal.. Maxillary palpi with. lary palpi with three, four, five or. four articles.. six articles.. five or six articles.. Sometimes an open space between the base of the mandibles and the eyes. Thorax always wide and truncate Thorax sometimes strongly contractEyes always extending. to the. base. of the mandibles.. ed before.. before.. The second abdominal segment al- The second segment sometimes funways the largest, widening like a The third segment nel-shrped. bell, and like a socket to those in that case the largest and a sort of socket for those following.. following.. Clypeus variable, emarginate, bidentate,. truncate or rounded on. its. inferior border; never terminated. by a. Clypeus often cordiform, terminated. by an angle or sort of tooth or by a rounded lobe.. tooth.. Second cubital cell always narrowed toward the radial. The second recurrent nervure sometimes received by the third cubital. Second. cubital. sometimes. cell. square.. The second. cubital cell always re-. ceiving the two recurrent nervures.. cell.. Tribe. MASARIKE.. (Parasitic. Among. Wasps.). these insects one notices in the antennae a tendency to. consolidation of the articles and to a rudimentary condition of the. maxillary palpi, as. in. general. among. parasitic. The. insects.. abdominal segments among some species are constricted at the base so that one cannot receive another within. it.. The wings often fold with difficulty; they offer but three cubital cells, and the two recurrent nervures always terminate upon the second.. The. lip is at. times quadrifid, and sometimes. bifid.. When. bifid. by virtue of a peculiar mechanism. We know as yet but two representative genera of this tribe in America one of which forms a genus limited to this continent,. it is. also extensile. 1. —. See Saussure, Etudes sur la Famille des Vespides, Annales des Sciences Naturelles, 1857, VII. 1. :. III, 23, etc.. ;. and.

[PART. HYMENOPTEEA OF AMERICA.. 4. Gen.. TRIMERIA. Antennx clubbed, lengthened. tongue shaped,. nol extensile,. Lip. Sachs.". the last articles very indistinct.. Labial palpi composed. bifid.. Mandibles. of none.. maxillary apparently. articles;. of three. ;. I.. Abdominal segments constricted at their base. tolerably sharp.. ;. nut retractile. 1.. americana. T.. ?acss.. Erinnys americana <\v>>. Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr. 3<1 ser. I, Bull, sx, 1S53. Trimeria americana SAOSS. Vespides, III, 1854, 81, PI. iv, fig. 2, $.. Hab.. Brazil.. Gen. II. Antenna of which. of. the. long, of. S. live. (leaving but eighl short. males,. in. short,. 9. Fab.. composed of twelve. articles,. an- soldered into a single bare mass. last. Articles 4-7 long in the. apparent).. articles. the. ASARIS. and. females,. incompletely soldered;. the. terminal mass (8th article) forming an oval club in the male,. inclosed. in a. labial. rudimentary. like. (bispinose).. the tongue bifid,. contractile sheath, in the form of a lamina, placed. Jaw*. 1. edgewise:. notched. Lip extensile;. ng the females.. variable a. short. -. palpi. Mandibles. short,. arcuate,. maxillary palpi. Glypeus. bidentate.. Metathorax flattened behind. the arc of a circle.. Abdomen. short;. flattened beneath, the. segments contracted. the base, the third and following not retractile into the second;. at. tie'. abdomen equally wide and rounded. in the. &. ment. 2. I. "I"". at. •'!. armed beneath with. I. it. to. loc.. new name, Bince it is not See ^r the composition ies. cit.). ;. process.. .. name already. hut finding this. Trimeria, which. ;. i. a salienl. tl is genus Erinnys in commemoration of a discussion of Mnxaris which for a Ion- time occupied the Entomo-. Society of France (see. Annal?s. ?; lengthened. named. antenna. employed, changed " v a,ir eady two genei the. at tip in the. attenuated toward the end, bi6d at the anus, and seg-. first. "" I. ,. seems scarcely. Nevertheless. I. think. it. better, as there. better'to retain. identical with the last. of. Scienoes Naturelles,. the. lip.. l&iJT, Vll.. Sauss. Vespides,. III,. 23,. and.

MASARIS.. 5. -. This remarkable genus counts as yet but. representatives,. five. of which two are African, the others were recently discovered in. North America.. The American 3Iaaaris differs from the African by having the much longer. The 1st joint long; the 2d very short,. labial palpi. about one-third or one-fourth the length of the arcuated, a. 4th. is. shorter than the. little. first,. and. first. the 3d. ;. The. ciliated at tip.. quite rudimental, soldered to the inner face of the extremity. The tongue is quite extensile as in the African The maxillary palpi are also quite rudimental, only appaa little tubercle. The American Masaris are also distin-. of the third. type.. rent as. guished from the African by the antennas of the. 9 which are. more globularly clubbed, nearly as in Celonites. The males which I can only judge by the figure given, have also the terminal part more globular or at least less elongated than in M. vespi-. form is. 1.. Antennae of ? clubbed, having 5 soldered terminal slightly dilated, not forming a distinct. very long.. articles,. first. article. Labial palpi very short. M. vespiformis Latr. 2.. knob; the. (North Africa.). Antennae of 9 terminated by a knob, as well as those of % the five last articles forming an oval dilated mass. Labial ;. palpi moderate.. 1.. m. vespoides late flavo-fasciatis. flavo-bitnaeulato. Cress.. ;. —Nigra, flavo variegata, abdominis. faseiis. ;. alis. 2-5 utriuque nigro-niarulatis. flavescentibus. ;. ;. sesroentis. 6°. Memento. scutello planato metanuto bis-. antennis % elougatis, articulo primo brevi, globoso, ultimis 5 clavam ovalem glutinatis 9 brevibus, primo articulo tertio brnviore, 3° elongato, 4°, 5° niediocribus, ultimis 5 in clavam subglobosam pinoso. ;. in. ;. glutinatis. ;. abdomiue % apice. fisso,. segmentis 2-3 subtus processibus 2. iu.striiutis.. Masaris vespoides Cuesson, Proc. Ent. Soc. Pbilad. III,. % Total lengtb, 9- Total lengtb, .. Male.. 1863, 69,. II,. PL. iv. ;. 673.. — Clypeus. 9 lines. ;. 8 lines;. expanse. of wings,. 1. r . >. .V. expanse of wings, 14. subquadrate,. deeply. lines. lines.. emarginate,. with. the. angles rounded; mandibles somewhat obtuse, with two indentations near the apex.. Antennas a. little. longer than the head and.