SPHEX. 29 



SPHEX. 



Sphex, Fabricius, Ent. Syst. ii. p. 198 (1793) (partim) ; Patton, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist. xx. 



p. 382. 

 Chlorion, Latreille, Hist. Nat. Crust, et Ins. iv. p. 57 (1809) (partim) ; Patton, loc. cit. p. 379. 

 Proneeus, Latreille, loc. cit. iv. p. 56 (1809) ; W. Saunders, Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond. iii. p. 58 (1841). 

 Priononyx, Dahlbom, Hymen. Eur. i. p. 28 (1843) ; Patton, loc. cit. p. 384. 

 Harpactopus, F. Smith, Cat. Hymen. Ins. iv. p. 264 (1856). 

 Isodontia, Patton, loc. cit. p. 380 (1881). 



Sphex, as here defined, includes Chlorion, Isodontia, Sphex (sensu stricto, auct.), 

 Harpactopus, and Priononyx. The characters on which these genera are grounded 

 merge so gradually into each other that they do not furnish a rigid means of definition ; 

 and, moreover, if these names be accepted as valid, it would inevitably necessitate the 

 creation of other genera. Under these circumstances I quite agree with Kohl and 

 Andre in sinking Isodontia, Chlorion, Harpactopus, and Priononyx to sectional value. 

 The genus is of almost world-wide distribution ; and the species, so far as is known, 

 prey on Orthoptera. 



i. Tarsal claws unidentate. (Chlorion and Pronseus.) 



This section is representative of the Oriental region and of America. The species 

 are large and metallic blue or green or violet. The tarsal claws are unidentate ; the 

 clypeus has three teeth in the female and five in the male ; and the petiole is some- 

 what longer than the hind coxa?. The species are few in number. Cresson treats 

 Chlorion as a distinct genus. 



l. Sphex caerulea. 



y Sphex carulea, Drury, Exot. Ins. ii. p. 75, t. 39. f. 8. 



Chlorion caruleum, Smith, Cat. Hymen. Ins. iv. p. 238 1 ; Riley, 1st Report U. S. Ent. Comm. 



p. 319, fig. 58 (1878) 2 . 

 Chlorion cyaneum, Dahlbom, Hymen. Eur. i. p. 24. 



Hah. Noeth Amekica x 2 . — Mexico \ 



S. ccerulea feeds on spiders and also on locusts. Hiley 2 states that one of his 

 assistants, Mr. A. N. Godfrey, saw one sting a pupa of the Rocky-Mountain locust 

 (Caloptenus spretus), bury it in its nest, and lay an egg at the point of junction 

 between the hind femur and the body. 



