WILLIAMS: LARRID^ OF KANSAS. 201 



Tachysphex fusns Fox and to-mmatus Smith. 



Though neither of these red-tipped species was rare, little 

 was noted of their habits. A T. fiisiif; was fallen in the town of 

 Pratt, in southwest Kansas, endeavoring to fly from the cement 

 walk with an immature Melanoplua, somewhat larger than her- 

 self. In Ness county, another of these wasps, having dug lier 

 nest in a nearly vertical bank of earth, stored it with two im- 

 mature Tryxalinfe. The hole was two and one-half inches 

 long and contained a single cell. Terminatu.^, which is very 

 closely related to fusus, seems to have about the same habits as 

 the latter, being taken once with a young tryxalid. A Tachi/- 

 sphex, which had the appearance of being either of the above 

 species, was noticed nesting in the sand, in Graham county, 

 August, 1912. She had evidently closed her burrow before 

 going to the hunt, for I arrived in time to see her open it and 

 enter, to reappear immediately to reach for a very small acrid- 

 ian which she had deposited before the hole. This orthopteron 

 completed the store of provender, for she commenced filling up 

 the burrow. At this juncture a small velvet ant (Mutilla) was 

 attracted to the scene of operations, and lingered about the 

 nest. Tachijsplic.v did not appreciate the visitor, for she would 

 approach this hard-shelled insect, and to all appearances try to 

 bite it. When the latter ventured to enter her partly filled 

 tunnel she would assist Mittilla in no gentle manner to make 

 her exit therefrom. The hole was at length filled without 

 accident, and, smoothing over the site, the wasp took wing. 

 The tunnel was the usual short affair of the genus Tachysphex, 

 its single cell containing several acridians of very small size. 



Tachysphex plcnoculiforini-s Williams. 



It was early one hot July afternoon in 1911, in barren 

 Haskell county, that this rather diminutive new species was 

 seen to alight on the sandy soil, holding under her body a very 

 young tryxalid locust. Thus burdened she ran into a hole 

 near a small plant of Russian thistle. She did not tarry in- 

 side, but was out in a minute or two, and after circling about 

 a little flew afield. At 1 :41 P. M. she returned, to all appear- 

 ances empty-handed, but decidedly immature tryxalids were 

 brought in on the wing at 1 :47, 1 :51, 1 :58 and 2 :08 P. M. In 

 every case but one (when she released her burden to rest for 

 a short time) she flew directly to the tunnel with her prey. At 

 2:13 she commenced to fill the burrow from within, backing 



