PEPSIS. 219 



Sphex auripennis, Degeer, Mem. Ins. iii. p. 585, t. 30. fig. 1 3 . 



Pepsis auripennis, Dahlbom, Hymen. Eur. i. p. 121 4 . 



Sphex ceerulea, Fabr. Ent. Syst. ii. p. 219 5 (nee Linn.). 



Pepsis ccerulea, Fabr. Syst. Piez. p. 214 6 ; Lepel. de St.-Fargeau, Hist. Nat. des Ins. Hymen, iii. 



p. 475 7 ; Cresson, Trans. Am. Ent. Soc. i. p. 147 8 . 

 Sphex speciosa, Fabr. Ent. Syst. ii. p. 217 9 . 

 Pepsis speciosa, Fabr. Syst. Piez. p. 216 10 . 

 Pompilus formosus, Say, Western Quarterly Reporter, ii. p. 76 u ; Am. Ent. iii. p. 91, t. 42. fig. I 12 ; 



Complete Writings, i. pp. 91, 165 13 . 

 Pepsis formosa, Cresson, Trans. Am. Ent. Soc. i. p. 144 ". 



Eab. Noeth Ameeica n 12 , Texas 14 , California 13 u . — Mexico, Northern Sonora 

 (Morrison), Presidio de Mazatlan (Forrer), Amula and Xucumanatlan in Guerrero, 

 Atoyac in Vera Cruz (H. E. Smith), Valladolid and Temax in Yucatan (Gaumer); 

 Guatemala, El Eeposo, Guatemala city, San Geronimo (Champion). — South Ameeica 4-7 , 

 Surinam 3 4 , Amazons ; Antilles, San Domingo, Antigua 1 . 



In this species the apex of the wings is clear before the black cloud. The frontal 

 channel is distinct, and there is a curved furrow behind the ocelli. The median 

 segment is thickly covered with long black hair; the apex at the top is strongly 

 keeled ; there are no tubercles. The mesopleurse are bluntly tuberculated. The hair 

 on the apex of the abdomen is long and stiff. The third transverse cubital nervure is 

 curved, not elbowed ; at the top the third cubital cellule is three-fourths of the length 

 it is at the bottom. 



The male has the antennae rather long and thick, covered closely with a dull micro- 

 scopic pile, and with the joints very closely articulated. The apex of the clypeus is 

 more deeply arcuate than in the female, and the head and thorax have the hair longer 

 and thicker. Above, the apex of the abdomen has no hair, only a thick depressed pile ; 

 at the sides, the apex of the penultimate ventral segment has a sharp curved tooth ; the 

 ventral surface is entirely glabrous. 



ii. Wings violaceous or bluish. (Species 12-21.) 

 c. Antenna? with the flag ellum reddish or luteous. (Species 12-16.) 



12. Pepsis ruficornis. 



Sphex ruficornis, Fabr. Ent. Syst. ii. p. 219 \ 



Pepsis ruficornis, Fabr. Syst. Piez. p. 215 2 ; Dahlbom, Hymen. Eur. i. pp. 119, 463 3 ; Lepel. de 



St.-Fargeau, Hist. Nat. des Ins. Hymen, iii. p. 480 4 ; Cresson, Proc. Ent. Soc. Phil. iv. 



p. 134 5 ; Trans. Am. Ent. Soc. i. p. 148 6 ; Smith, Cat. Hymen. Ins. iii. p. 198 \ 



Eab. Hondueas 7 . — South Ameeica 1 2 3 , Cayenne 4 7 ; Antilles, Cuba 5 6 . 



I am unable to identify this species, and think it very probable that the records may 

 refer to the next, P. eharon. In none of the descriptions is any mention made as to 



2ff2 



