WILLIAMS: LARRID^ OF KANSAS. 157 



One o ; Hamilton county, Kansas; F. H. Snow. 



Fox, in his monogi'aph of the genus Tachytes, states that the o has a 

 bronzy pygidium, while Cresson in his description of the species states, 

 "apical segment dull silvery." The Kansas specimen agrees with the 

 latter statement. 



Tachytes distuictns Sm. 



(PI. XXII and XXIII, external anatomy; fig. 14, wings; 41, antenna j ; 

 57, clypeus; 79, 83, 85, legs; 92 and 94, pygidium, ^ j ; 111, eighth 

 ventral segment, ^ .) 



Tachytes disUnctiis F. Smith; Cat. Hym. Brit. Mus., IV, 307; 1856. g . 

 Tachytes distinctus Fox; Trans. Am. Ent. Soc, XIX, 246; 1892. g . 

 Tachytes elongatus Fox; Trans. Am. Ent. Soc, XIX, 246; 1892. ^ . 



2 ■ Stout but rather elongate. Clypeus broadly produced, sometimes 

 slightly emarginate mesad, two obtuse lateral teeth; third joint of anten- 

 nas longer than fourth; vertex very finely punctate; scutum punctate 

 about like vertex; scutellum not impressed; disc of propodeum with or 

 without a very faint impressed line, a distinct pyrifonn subapical fovea, 

 a very strong median sulcus on posterior face; meta tibial spines stout, 

 not blunt; abdomen long and depressed; pygidium convex, subtriangular, 

 very slightly constricted before apex, its pile short, fine and dense. Black; 

 basal portion of mandibles, scape beneath at apex, tegulae, legs except 

 sometimes basal portion of femora, ferruginous; wings yellowish hyaline, 

 apically darker, venation light brown; pygidial area with long bronzy and 

 blackish pile. Pubescence of head, thorax and legs pale golden; collar 

 sometimes silvery; abdomen with three silvery fascis. Length, 15-22 mm. 

 J- . More slender as a rule than 5 . Anterior margin of clypeus 

 broadly produced; eighth ventral segment of abdomen broadly emarginate; 

 femora largely black; pubescence more griseous than (j ; abdomen four- 

 fasciate. Length, 11-17 mm. 



A common and easily determined species; the largest of our larrids. 

 Taken throughout the western half of the state; June-September. 



Tachytes mergus Fox. 

 (Fig. 26, mandible; 61. clypeus, j ; 93, pygidium, o .) 

 Tachytes mergus Fox; Trans. Am. Ent. Soc, XIX, 250; 1892. g . 



2 ■ Somewhat slender. Anterior margin of clypeus with a distinct 

 lateral prong; mandibles decidedly slender; antennas likewise, the third 

 joint longer than the fourth; vertex and scutum finely punctate; disc of 

 propodeum with a distinct impressed line and a subpyriform subapical 

 fovea, sulcus on posterior face ."trong; pygidium triangular, with sparse 

 stout bristles. Black; at least the apical joints of tarsi reddish; wings 

 clear. Pubescence silvery; bristles of pygidium silvery; to pale golden. 

 Length : 9 mm. 



Two 2 5 > from Osborne county, Kansas, August, 1912. A very dis- 

 tinct and apparently rare species. 



