2O6 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [May, '09 



tral plate deeply angular. Abdomen closely, rather strongly punctured, 

 metathorax finely granular. Venation brown, wings not yellowish. Man- 

 dibles (species piceous) and scape black. Except where mentioned this 

 is like the female. 



Hab. Five females and five males, Lee County, Texas (G. 

 Birkman). Most of them were taken in Fedor. The dates 

 are May 28th, June 6th, iQth, 2ist, 26th, August, in different 

 years. 



This species is close to T. obscurus Cress. The female may 

 be known by its smaller size ; the different sculpture of the cly- 

 peus, which is very distinct ; the silvery color of the pygidium, 

 etc. The male may be separated by the longer third antenual 

 joint ; the slight indicated middle line, the more angular emar- 

 gination of the eight ventral plate and the close eyes. 



In Fox's Monograph of the Tachytes of North America this 

 species runs to sericatus Cress, to which it is closeiy related, 

 but it may be separated from that species as follows : the cly- 

 peus of the female is different ; the metanotum in the female is 

 much different, being more shining ; the pygidium is not 

 bronzy; the longer third antennal joint of the ; eighth ventral 

 abdominal plate is angularly emarginate ; and being smaller in 

 size. 



DIADASIA NITIDIFRONS AND D. SKINNERI. The original type of the 

 bee Diadasia nitidifrons Ckll., from Banning, California, has the ab- 

 domen largely denuded of pubescence. In Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc., 

 xxxii, p. 73, I described what I regarded as a more perfect specimen 

 of the species, taken by Dr. Skinner at Silver Lake, Utah, 8,600 ft. 

 This was a very remarkable extension of the range, but I did not 

 believe I had to do with a distinct species. I now have before me a 

 perfect male of undoubtedly genuine D. nitidifrons, taken by Mr. 

 Eldred Jenne at N. Yakima, Wash., June 24, 1903. This is larger than 

 the Utah specimen and has the abdomen beset all over with erect dull 

 white hair, without any appearance of bands. There is no black hair 

 at the bases of segments 2 and 3, but there is some at the base of 6. 

 The Utah insect clearly represents a distinct species (D. Skinncri 

 n. sp.), peculiar for its small size (length about 7 mm.), and the black 

 hair at the bases of abdominal segments 2 and 3. Seen from above, 

 nearly the basal half of these two segments appears shining black, the 

 rest of the segment being relatively dull, while the hind margins of 

 segments 2 to 4 have evident fringes of white hair. T. D. A. COCK- 

 ERELL. 



