144 E. T. CRESSON. 



(From the United States.) 



1. Pepsis formosa. 



I'ompUusfornwsus, Say, West. Quar. Rep. ii, p. 7(5: American Entomology, 

 Plate 42. 



Female. — Black, with a bluish or greenish reflection ; elypeus arcu- 

 ate in front; antennae black, sericeous; metathorax abruptly truncate 

 behind, the verge of the truncation strongly carinate, the disk above 

 transversely striated, with a shallow channel down the middle, and a 

 longitudinal carina on each side, just before the stigmata; wings bright 

 fiery fulvous, the apical margins paler, the extreme base black ; abdo- 

 men shining, with a very strong blue or violet reflection ; apex hairy. 

 Length 13 — 18 lines. 



/7a/..— Texas, California, (Coll. Am. Ent. Soc). 



Two 9 specimens. 



2. Pepsis dubitata, n. sp. 



Female. — Velvety-black, with a more or less brilliant purple reflec- 

 tion, less obvious on the head and thorax; anteunci3 orange-yellow, the 

 two basal joints black; metathorax transversely striated; wings uni- 

 formly black, violaceous, the extreme tip slightly paler. Length 13 

 lines. 



Male. — More slender than the 9 , with the purple reflection more 

 uniform over the body; antennjx; long and thick; abdomen r^/y'/vY/y 

 black, with the purple or violet reflection more brilliant than on the 

 rest of the body. Length 10 lines. 



i7a 6.— Georgia, (Coll. Am. Ent. Soc). 



One 9 , four % specimens. This may be identical with elrfjam^^ 

 but none of the % specimens have the slightest indication of reddish 

 margins to their segments. 



:;. Pepsis elegans. 



rep.-its cloj'ms, St. Farg., Hym. iii, p. 489, %. Smith, Brit. Mus. Cat. Ilym. 

 iii, p. 201, 9- 



Male. — Anteniuc thick, yellow; the two basal joints black; head 

 and thorax black, without any reflection; disk of the metathorax with 

 a few transverse stria); abdomen bluish-black, covered with a short, 

 dense bluish-black pubescence ; posterior margin of the second, third, 

 fourth, fifth and sixth segments narrowly ferruginous ; legs black, with 

 black hairs; wings black, violaceous, the posterior margin paler. — *SV. 

 Farrjeaa. 



The fhnale is similarly colored to the male^ but is usually more bril- 

 liant in color, the abdomen being sometimes of a rich purple, owing to 

 the beautiful iridescence of the short pubescence or pile which clothes 

 it • the red margin of the abdominal segments of the male, as described 



