A. E. Verrill — The Bermuda Islands. 



751 



Polistes perplexus Cresson, Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc, iv, p. 245, 1872. 



This wasp, originally described from Texas, was recorded by W. 

 F. Kirby as taken at Bermuda by the Challenger Exped., in April 

 and June. (Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist., xiii, p. 410, 18S4.) 



The male Polistes (fig. 106) was determined by Mr. Ashmead. In 

 alcohol the head is black above, with the front yellowish brown, 

 this color extending as a band below and behind the eyes, but 

 interrupted dorsally. Thorax black above with a rufous brown stripe 

 in front of each wing insertion, meeting anteriorly; two transverse 

 dorsal spots of the same on the middle, and a pair of j^ellow stripes 



106 



KIT 



Figure 106. — Bermuda Wasp (Polistes perplexus); male; x 1 J<j . The photo- 

 graph, made from dried specimen, did not define the black and orange 

 bands of the abdomen, which are less distinct after drying and required 

 retouching. Figure 107. — The same ; female; x 1%. Phot, by A. H. V. 



farther back ; abdomen orange-brown, banded with black, each 

 band usually covering the proximal half of a segment and the 

 distal margin of the one in front, on which it often forms a lunate 

 spot ; on the second enlarged segment it forms a dorsal triangular 

 black spot, acute distally; legs orange-brown, darker on the femora. 

 Wings orange-brown, or rufous brown, the veins darker. Length, 

 22 mm ; abdomen 12 mm . Described from specimens taken from alcohol 

 and still moist ; when dry the color-markings are less distinct, the 

 black bands on the abdomen being scarcely visible ; its surface is 

 covered with short, close, orange-brown hairs, obscuring the dark 

 bands. Midsummer, T. G. Gosling. 



Female (dry) smaller than the male described; head rufous brown; 

 a black shield-shaped mark between the eyes and a narrow transverse 



