31S Trans. Acad. Sci. of St. Louis. 



wing veins and legs darker. These distinctions are even more 

 evident in the males. The males of S.mandihidaris have more 

 of the white pubescence, and the abdominal markings are also 

 paler, being yellowish instead of reddish. In the female the 

 abdomen shows the same variations as in S . mandibulavis. 



Sphecodes ranunculi. 



$. — Head and thorax black, abdomen entirely red ; vertex 

 and face, including clypcns, densely and evenl}' punctured ; 

 mandibles bidentate, rufous towards tips ; labrum short, en- 

 tire; flagellum dull ferruginous beneath ; mesonotum closely 

 and strongly punctured, more sparsely on the disc, which is 

 shining; scutellum shining, with a median punctured line; 

 metathorax coarsely reticulated, without defined inclosure, 

 presenting a small truncation; wings hyaline, increasing fus- 

 cous clouded towards tips, stigma fuscous, nervures and 

 tegulae exteriorly dull testaceous, second submarginal cell un- 

 usually narrowed towards marginal, about one-half; legs 

 black, apical joints of tarsi dull ferruginous; abdomen shin- 

 ing, almost impunctate at base, the punctures increasing in 

 size and number towards the apex ; second segment depressed 

 basally. Length 8 mm. 



£. — Resembles the female : antennae, mandibles and labrum 

 blacker; antennae long, second and third joints subequal, 

 fourth usually longer than fifth and longer than second and 

 third together; wings more hyaline, dusky at tips; meta- 

 thorax presenting a semicircular inclosure with rugae usually 

 longitudinal ; mesonotum more closely punctured and with 

 central raised line more evident ; seventh segment of abdomen 

 evident, broadly rounded. Length 8 mm. 



Illinois, 1 $, 8 ^ specimens. 



This species may be distinguished from S. diclirous by its 

 smaller size, more dense punctuation of mesonotum and cly- 

 peus, and second submarginal cell more narrowing towards 

 marginal. 



Sphecodes heraclei 5. 



Black, shining, first three abdominal segments red ; head 

 coarsely and closely punctured, less closely on clypeus and 



