1894.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 293 



all of which are ranked as tribes of the Sphegidae. The two families 

 mentioned and Oxijbelus are treated as subfamilies in this paper as 

 they are more distinct than are the numerous tribes of the Bembi- 

 cime and Sphegiuiie. 



It is hoped that the paper may at least call forth improvements 

 on the classification suo-gested. 



5i5^ 



MUTILLID^. 



I regard this as a well-defined famil}^ disagreeing with some 

 authors who place it as a subfamily of the Scoliidte. The wingless 

 females are, in my ojnnion, sufficient to separate these insects from 

 the Scoliidiv. In the latter family the intermediate cox?e are widely 

 separated, while in the Mutillidaj they are not separated by a dis- 

 tance equalling their width. In the generic table below, Plwtopsis 

 Elake is considered as synonymous with Sphairophtlialma Blake, as a 

 comparison of the two genera fails to show any differential charac- 

 ters. The family can be separated into two tribes as follows: — 



Females (as far as known) .without ocelli; marginal cell of ( J ) wings 

 more or less short, not reaching by any means the apex of 

 Aving ; some of the nervures generally obsolete, particularly 

 those forming the third discoidal cell MUTILLINI. 



Females with ocelli; marginal cell of (<?) wings long and pointed, 

 reaching almost the apex of wings; all the nervures distinct, 

 never obsolete MYllMOSINl. 



Tribe I.— MUTILLIXI. . 



Contains the genera Psammotherma,^ Mat'dla, Spliaerophthahna 

 ( = Photopsls m i^t.), Brachycidis and Chyphotes, and is defined as 

 above. The genera may be tabulated as follows: — 



1 — Antennae simple in both sexes 2 



Antennae of male flabellate Psammotherma Latr. 



2 — 'Eyes ovate, emarginate w'ithin the ^ , entire in 9 ; thorax of 

 9 generally oblong in shape, truncate behind. Muiilla Linn6. 

 Ej-es round, entire; thorax generally ovate, rounded pos- 

 teriorly 3 



3 — Intermediate tibite w ith two apical spurs 4 



Intermediate tibisy with but one apical spur; w ing stigma very 

 large; body smooth, glabrous; marginal cell usually shorter 

 than stigma; autennfu longer than head and thorax 

 Brachycistis Fox. 



^ Probably does not occur in America, the species described being very 

 likely erroneously reported from Florida. 



