SPBJEEOPHTHALMA. 385 



The following two species have, as in S. pawn, &c, the third transverse cubita 

 nervure and the second recurrent nervure obliterated entirely. They are small species, 

 with rather pallid legs and antennae, and with the abdomen banded with black ; the 

 femora are more or less infuscated. In S. aretes the petiole is much longer than in 

 8. nigrobalteata, and it is also more deeply coloured ; the petiole and the thorax being 

 also much more strongly sculptured ; besides being less thickly haired, the hair itself 

 is shorter. 



140. Sphaerophthalma nigrobalteata. 



Long, fere 7 millim. 



Hab. Mexico, Northern Sonora (Morrison). 



The head as wide as the thorax, the vertex indistinctly punctured, rather thickly 

 covered with long white hair ; the ocelli in a black patch, the anterior ocellus sur- 

 rounded by a furrow ; behind, the head is rounded and as long there as the eyes ; the 

 tips of the mandibles broadly black. The antennae reach beyond the apex of the 

 thorax ; moderately stout, not tapering much, if it all, towards the apex ; the scape 

 a little curved, bearing white hair ; the flagellum with a microscopic white pile ; the 

 third joint distinctly shorter than the fourth, being not much more than twice the 

 length of the second. The thorax closely covered with long white hair. The propleurse 

 very finely punctured ; the mesopleurse reticulated, except at the extreme base and at the 

 apex ; the metapleurae reticulated at the apex, the rest impunctate, shining, and a little 

 excavated. The mesonotum without furrows, finely rugose. The scutellum more 

 shining than the mesonotum, and much more finely and obscurely punctured. The 

 median segment has a gradually rounded slope to the apex ; coarsely reticulated, except 

 in the centre at the base ; covered with short white soft hair ; at the base there is a 

 broad, somewhat triangular, smooth, shining area, having in the centre two straight 

 keels, and outside these are two straight keels, the distance separating these being less 

 than the distance separating them from the outer keels. The abdomen is not very much 

 longer than the head and thorax united. The petiole is shorter than the second 

 abdominal segment, gradually dilated towards the apex ; smooth, impunctate, bearing 

 long white hair ; its extreme apex is blackish. The second and following segments are 

 impunctate, smooth, and shining ; the second segment is sparsely covered all over with 

 long white hair ; the other segments have the hair longer and closer, especially towards 

 the apex, where they are blackish ; the terminal segment is impunctate, not depressed 

 in the centre, the apex broadly rounded and pale yellow. The ventral segments are 

 impunctate, sparsely covered with white hair ; the second and following segments 

 blackish towards the apex ; the terminal segment is triangularly depressed at the apex. 

 The legs are of a paler colour than the body ; the femora are more or less infuscated : 

 the tips of the tarsal joints blackish ; the hind spurs reach a little beyond the middle of 

 the metatarsus. The wings reach beyond the apex of the abdomen ; clear hyaline, the 



biol. centk.-amee., Hymenopt., Vol. II., June 1896. 3 dd 



