230- HYMENOPTEEA. 



Bab. Mexico {Salle), Orizaba (E. H. Smith & F. D. G.) ; Panama (Boueard). — South 

 Ameeica 8 ; Venezuela, Caracas 8 ; Guiana 5 , Cayenne 1 2 7 ; Brazil 7 13 , Rio Janeiro 4 6 , 

 Bahia 8 , San Paulo 101115 . 



A very variable species. 



e. Wings fuscous or fusco-violaceous ; the abdomen banded with red or fulvous. 



(Species 8 and 9.) 



8. Elis ephippium. 



Scotta ephippium, Say, Bost. Journ. Nat. Hist. i. p. 363 l ; Complete Writings, ii. p. 748 2 . 



Elis ephippium, Sauss. & Sichel, Cat. Sp. Gen. Scolia, p. 229 8 ; Cresson, Trans. Am. Ent. Soc. 



iv. p. 201 4 . 

 Scolia petitii, Guerin, Voy. de Coq., Zool. ii. 2, p. 249 5 ; Smith, Cat. Hymen, iii. p. 109 6 ; Burm. 



Abb. Nat. ges. Halle, i. 4, p. 21 \ 



Hab. Noeth Ameeica, Louisiana 3 , Texas 4 . — Mexico l 2 5 6 7 , Soledad, Xautipa, Amula, 

 Tierra Colorada, and Bincon, all in Guerrero (E. H. Smith), Pinal near Puebla, Jalapa 

 (F. D. £.), Paso del Macho, Cordova (Edge), Orizaba (F. D. G. & H. II. Smith); Hon- 

 dueas, Ruatan I. (Gaumer) ; Guatemala, Duenas, San Geronimo (Champion) ; Nicaeagua, 

 Chontales (Belt); Costa Bica, Volcan de Irazu 6000 to 7000 feet, Bio Sucio (Sogers); 

 Panama, Volcan de Cbiriqui 4000 to 6000 feet (Champion). 



Great variation is shown in size by this common species — in the females from 30-45 

 millim. The colour of the second and third abdominal segments above varies from 

 deep reddish-orange almost to yellow ; in both sexes the colour of the wings ranges 

 from deep bluish-violaceous through fuscous, dark or pale, to almost hyaline. In the 

 male the basal abdominal segment may be marked with orange. 



I have examined an example of FJ. wagneriana, Sauss. (Cat. Sp. Gen. Scolia, p. 229), 

 from Chimborazo, and I am inclined to look upon it as a form of E. ephippium, from 

 which it is chiefly to be separated by having the wings hyaline. As pointed out above, 

 the wings in both sexes vary in colour ; and we have a male of F. ephippium from 

 Costa Bica which has the wings quite as hyaline as in the typical E. wagneriana. 



i 



/ 9. Elis dorsata. 



Tiphia dorsata, Fabr. Mant. Ins. i. p. 279 1 ; Ent. Syst. ii. p. 226 2 ; Syst. Piez. p. 235 3 . 

 Scolia dorsata, Klug, in Weber & Mohr's Beitr. ii. p. 212 4 ; Smith, Cat. Hymen, iii. p. 106 5 . 

 Elis dorsata, Sauss. Melang. Hymen, p. 55 8 ; Sauss. & Sichel, Cat. Sp. Gen. Scolia, pp. 230, 308 7 . 

 Scolia hcematogastra, Perty, Del. Anim. Art. Bras. p. 139, t. 27. fig. 13 ( ? ) 8 ; Erichs. in Schom- 



burgk's Beisen in Brit. Guiana, iii. p. 589 9 . 

 Colpa rubrida, Lep. de St.-Eargeaii, Hist. Nat. Ins. Hyme*n. iii. p. 544 10 . 

 Elis tolteca, Sauss. Rev. Zool. 1857, p. 282 " ; Sauss. & Sichel, Cat. Sp. Gen. Scolia, pp. 231, 309 12 . 



Hab. Noeth Ameeica, Lower California 12 . — Mexico 12 , Northern Sonora (Morrison), 



