rOMPILID.K. 



171 



that whilst burrowing it makes a loud whirring buzz ; and, in 

 the Transactions of the Entomological Society of London, he 

 states that he has detected both A. sabidosa and A. hirxittn 

 dragging along large spiders. Mr. Curtis observed it bury 

 the caterpillars of a Noctua and Geometra. St. Fargeau, how- 

 ever, states that A. sabidosa collects caterpillars of large sixe, 

 especially those of Noctiue, with a surprising perseverance, 

 whereas A. arenaria, forming a distinct section in the genus, 

 collects spiders." (Westwood.) 



Ammophila cementaria Smith, and A. urnaria Klug, are the 

 more common species in this country ; they are red and white, 

 while A. htctuosa Smith is a black, shorter, stouter, more hirsute 

 species. They may all be seen flying about hot sandy places, 

 and alighting near wells and standing water to drink. 



POMPILIUA: Leach. In this family the body is oblong, the 



sides often compressed, and the head shorter, when seen from 



above, being more trans- 

 versely ovate than in 



the preceding family. 



The antennae are long, 



not geniculate, and in 



the males are stouter 



and with shorter joints 



than in the females. 



The eyes are narrow 



oval, and the maxillary 



palpi are six, and the 



labial palpi four-jointed. 



The prothorax is ex- 

 tended on the sides back 



to the base of the wings, 



which latter are large and broad, the fore pair having three 

 subcostal cells. The legs are very long and slender, with thick 

 slender spines. The Pompilidce , of which about seven hun- 

 dred species are known, have a wide geographical range, from 

 the temperate zone to the tropics. Like the Sphegidw, they 

 oviposit in the body of other insects, storing their nests, usually 

 built in the sand, Avith spiders and caterpillars. 



The head of Pompihix (Fig. 91) is a little longer, seen from 



