SYNOPSES OF THE FAMILIES OF THE HYMENOPTERA. 



Suborder I. HETEROPHAGA. 

 Superfamily I. ^FOIDE^^. 



TABLE OF FAMILIES. 



Labium, or tongue, flattened, most frequently shorter than the mentum, rarely 

 much longer {some Panurgidse); basal joints of labial palpi cylin- 

 drical, the first joint sometimes very elongate or thickened, ])ut still 



neither flattened nor unlike the following joints 6 



Labium, or tongue, very elongate, slender, and always longer than the mentum; 

 two basal joints of labial palpi very elongate, compressed, valvate, 

 and very unlike the following, which are minute, the third joint 

 uniting with the second a little before its apex. 



Hind tibiae with two apical spurs 2 



Hind tibiae without apical spurs. 



Sexes three, female, worker, male; workers with corbiculaj, the female 

 without; maxillary palj^i very short, l-jointed» (rarel}' indistinctly 

 2-jointed from a slight constriction); labial palpi 4-jointed, with the 

 joints very unequal, the first two long, valvately compressed. 



Family I. ApiDiE. 



2. First cubital cell not, or rarely, divided by a delicate, oblique nervure; if at all 



present, incomplete or indicated by a hyaline streak or nervure; 



sexes two; female and male; hind tibi» in female convex or rounded, 



never concave; no corbicul&e; basal joint of hind tarsi in female not 



iforcipate at base; malar space except in the Psithyrida;, wanting or 

 indistinct, never very large 3 

 First cubital cell most frequently divided by a distinct, but delicate, oblique 

 nervure, rarely indistinct; hind tibiae and metatarsi in female 

 strongly dilated, outwardly concave; metatarsus in female forci- 



tpate; malar space large, distinct. 

 Labrum transverse, subtrapezoidal, the clypeus not carinate; body densely 

 hairy; scutellum semicircular, rounded off posteriorly, and not pro- 

 jecting over the metanotum; sexes three, female, worker, male; 

 female and worker with corl)icuLie and a dense polleniferous scopa 

 on hind tibiae and tarsi; labial palpi 4-jointed; maxillary palpi 

 short, 2-jointed; tongue not extending beyond the apex of thorax. 



Family II. Bombid.e. 

 Labrum large, subquadrate, the clypeus, and frequently the labrum also, cari- 

 nate; body most frequently metallic, bare or nearly, rarely very 

 densely pubescent [Eulema); scutellum large, quadrangular, pro- 

 jecting over the metanotum, the axillae very small; sexes two, 

 female, male; female with corbiculae, but with the polleniferous 

 scopa on hind tibiic and tarsi very sparse, or thin and confined to 



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