1893.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 529 



pressed; metathorax entirely coriaceous; legs strongly spinose, more 

 so than in any of the other species, except aethiops; pygidial area 

 strongly and sparsely punctured, scarcely twice as long as its width 

 at the base, forming an almost perfect triangle. Black ; mandibles 

 medially, scape beneath at apex and the tarsi, except first joint, red- 

 dish ; abdomen bright red, with exception of a few blotches dorsally 

 and with a sparse silvery pile; wings subhyaline, not iridescent, 

 nervures dark testaceous; marginal cell obliquely suhtruncate; 

 head and thorax absolutely without silvery pubescence. Length 



14 mm. 



Nevada. A very distinct species. 



31. — Tachysphex aethiops Cress. 



Larrada a<i!ii<>p s (Jr.. Proc. Ent. Soc. Pkila., IV, p. 465. O . 

 I.arra aethiops Pattern, 1. c. p. 380. 



V . — Anterior margin of clypeus subtruncate, either entire, or 

 slightly emarginate medially and with a lai-ge tooth laterally, front 

 very finely and closely punctured, the vertex even more so; space be- 

 tween eyes at top somewhat greater than the length of antennal 

 joints 2 and 3 united, but much less than that of joints 3 and 4 united; 

 first joint , of flagellum distinctly shorter than the second; punctures of 

 dorsulum, though finer, are more distinct than those of the front; 

 scutellum not impressed; metathorax entirely coriaceous; legs 

 strongly spinose; pygidial area strongly and sparsely punctured, 

 about two-and-a-half times longer than it is wide at the base. Entirely 

 black, except mandibles medially, scape beneath at apex and the 

 apical joints of the tarsi, which are reddish; abdomen without silvery 

 pile and the head and thorax destitute of silvery pubescence; wings 

 dark fuscous, iridescent, the posteriors pale at base, nervures black ; 

 marginal cell obliquely subtruncate. Length 12-15 mm. 



$ . — Anterior margin of clypeus truncate, not emarginate, the 

 lateral angles not dentate, but strongly produced ; front very finely 

 granulated ; space between eyes at top about equal to length of an- 

 tennal joints 3 and 4 united ; antennae long and slender, first joint of 

 flagellum about one-third shorter than the second; scutellum slightly 

 impressed; metathorax coriaceous, above with a distinct, medial im- 

 pressed liue; colored like the female; face, front and clypeus with 

 silvery pubescence; marginal cell obtuse at tip. Length 9-10 mm. 

 Colorado; Nevada; State of Washington. Its entirely deep 

 black color and dark wings will distinguish this species from any of 

 its allies. 



