VELVET " ANTS.' 



Back of thorax with two sutures ................. n. 



11. Head long, usually distinctly longer than broad, 

 flattened above, the front horizontal; legs stout. Some 

 female BETHYLID.E (see 3). 



Head transverse, squared or rounded ............ 12. 



12. Antennae 10- jointed; front tarsi usually pincer- 

 shaped. Some DRYINID.E (see 3). 



Antennae 12- jointed; front tarsi normal. METHO- 

 CID^E (see 9). 



Antennae 13- jointed; wings present as small pads. 

 A few male MUTILLID^E (see below). 



SCOLIID/E 



These hairy wasps burrow in the ground in search of 

 the larvas of May-beetles (Phyllophaga, etc.), on which 

 their larvas feed. The confusion of names need not con- 

 cern us here. The following are some of the genera, named 

 according to the Hymenoptera of Connecticut. 



1. Inner margins of eyes indented; with yellow mark- 



ings .............................................. 2. 



Inner margins of eyes not indented ...... . ......... 4. 



2. Tarsal claws cleft; middle tibiae with two spurs. 

 Eliinae. Elis (Plate XC) is our only genus. 



Tarsal claws simple; middle tibiae with one spur. 

 Scoliinag ........................................... 3. 



3. Front wings with two recurrent veins ... Campsomeris. 

 Front wings with one recurrent vein .......... Scolia. 



4. Middle tibiae with two spurs. Anthoboscinae ........ 



Sierolomorpha. 



Middle tibiae with one spur. Tiphiinae ............. 5. 



5. First transverse cubital present but incomplete. Para- 

 tipliia, our only Eastern species being algonquina. 



First transverse cubital wanting. Tiphia; a number 

 of species. 



These are the Velvet Ants, pretty but the females 

 certainly can sting. As far as the amateur is concerned, 

 the Methocidae and Myrmosidae might as well be grouped 



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