Dec., '09] ENTOMOLOGICAL NK\VS 415 



r 



$ . Falls Church, Va., May 30 on flowers of Castanea 

 putnila, June 7, June 24, June 27, July 5, July 20, Aug. 2; 

 Great Falls, Va., May 22, June 7, Sea Cliff, N. Y. ; June, N. 

 Banks. 



The first abdominal segment is usually finely and sparsely punctured, 

 but occasionally on the center or disc the punctures are very few in 

 number and cannot be clearly distinguished without the aid of the 

 compound microscope, but on the sides of the segment they still remain 

 numerous. The color of the markings is pale or lemon yellow. 



SPHECODES. 



As it is necessary to determine whether the mandibles of 

 species of Sphecodes are simple or dentate they should be 

 spread when the specimens are collected. If this is omitted 

 it is often necessary to relax them, and the moisture of the 

 relaxing jar may largely increase the area of black colora- 

 tion upon the abdomen. The color of the abdomen should, 

 of course, always be carefully noted and recorded before 

 the specimens are placed in the jar. 



Sphecodes dichrous Sm. 



$ . Falls Church, Va., Aug. 2 on flowers of sumach ; Great 

 Falls, July 12, N. Banks. 



Sphecodes obscurans Lov. and Ckll. 



9 . Sea Cliff, N. Y., N. Banks. 

 Sphecodes heraclei Rob. 



9 . Falls Church, Va., July 17, N. Banks. 



$ . Falls Church, Va., July 17, N. Banks. 



This species is easily identified by the tubercle on the ver- 

 tex of the head. 



Sphecodes confertus Say. 



9. Great Falls, Ya., May 22; Falls Church, Ya., June 2; 

 also Ithaca, N. Y., N. Banks. 



Sphecodes ranunculi Robt. 



9 . Falls Church, Va., June 2, June 23 on flowers of Cca- 

 nothus, N. Banks. 



$ . Falls Church, Va., May 10, May 24. N. Banks. 



