AMMOPHILA. 6 



AMMOPHILA. 



Ammophila, Kirby, Trans. Linn. Soc. iv. p. 195 (1798). 

 Psammophila, Dahlbom, Hym. Eur. i. p. 16 (1843). 



All the species known from our region are typical Ammophila or Psammophila, 

 which latter differs merely from Ammophila in the form of the petiole. The genus is a 

 very extensive one, and contains a large number of representatives from all parts of the 

 world. The species frequent hot sandy districts, and provision their nests with 

 caterpillars. 



The male armature is tolerably uniform, that of A. miliaris and A. aureo-notata being 

 the most aberrant. The tentaculum is beak-shaped, or an elongated triangle. The 

 outer lobe of the volsella is long and narrow. The sagittae are not much dilated at the 

 apex, and bear a long, thin, whip-shaped process, which is usually folded across. 



I. Petiole composed of two joints. (Species 1-28.) 



A. Abdomen bluish-black, without red. (Species 1-8.) 



a. Mesothorax punctured. (Species 1-5.) 



4 l. Ammophila miliaris. (Tab. I. figg. l ; la, 6 .) 



Nigra, opaca, breviter fusco-villosa ; thorace capiteque argenteo -pilosis ; alis fuscis vel violaceis ; $ clypeo 



fere truneato, <5 acuminate. 

 Long. 12-15 millim. 



Hob. Guatemala, San Geronimo {Champion) ; Panama, Bugaba 800 to 1500 feet, 



Volcan de Chiriqui, David (Champion). 



Head opaque, with some scattered shallow punctures, which are more numerous on 

 the face and more especially on the clypeus ; the front ocellus separated from the 

 posterior ocelli by less than half the space between these ; vertex almost bare of pile, 

 but (like the rest of the head) bearing some rather long blackish-fuscous hair ; face 

 closely covered with a short silvery pile, which is longest on the clypeus ; the latter is 

 produced, waved at the sides, and slightly depressed in the middle at the apex. 

 Pronotum with an oblique,, broad, shallow depression on either side in front, the top 

 thereby being narrowed, separated from, and somewhat raised above, the sides. Meso- 

 stemum tuberculate at the base and apex laterally, the posterior tubercles smaller and 

 more clearly separated than the anterior ones ; the centre strongly transversely striolated 

 and distinctly furrowed ; between the middle legs depressed in the centre and tuberculate 

 laterally. On the mesopleura a ] -shaped broad furrow runs down from the tubercles. 

 Thorax velvety (especially in front), opaque, the scutellum more shining ; postscutellum 

 transversely ridged, opaque, alutaceous ; metanotum transversely, the metapleurse ob- 

 liquely, coarsely striated ; metanotum with an indistinct shallow longitudinal depression 



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