•J2S E. T. CRESSON. 



Cerceris venator. 



Cerceris venator, Cress. Proc. Ent. Soc. Phil, v., p. 116. 

 Six % specimens. (Belfrage; Boll.) This species varies much in 

 color, especially of abdomen. The apical joint of antennas is almost as 

 long as the third, curved, with truncated tip and always black ; the 

 basal joint of posterior tarsi is curved orsinuated, slender at base and 

 dilated at apex. It may prove to be the male of bicornuta. 



Cerceris mimica, n. sp. 



9- — Ferruginous or brown-ferruginous; sides of face, middle and sides of 

 elypeus, more or less yellow, sometimes obscure; two spots behind antennae, 

 spot covering ocelli and tips of mandibles black; head with dense pale golden 

 pubescence, longer on face and cheeks; apex of elypeus with three small ob- 

 tuse black teeth ; antennae ferruginous, apical balf black; two transverse spots 

 on prothorax above, sometimes a band on scutelhim, postscutellum and tegulae, 

 yellow, sometimes obscure; narrow anterior margin of mesothorax and pleura 

 beneath black; thorax clothed with rather dense short golden sericeous pubes- 

 cence; metathorax coarsely punctured, basal triangular space punctured later- 

 ally: wings subhyaline, eosta and apical margins fuliginous, costal nerve and 

 stigma honey-yellow ; legs ferruginous, tibise and tarsi yellow; abdomen fer- 

 ruginous, closely and coarsely punctured, first segment transversely subglobose, 

 with a yellow lateral dot; second segment yellow, with basal margin, dilated 

 medially, ferruginous; three following segments with an apical yellow band, 

 suddenly dilated laterally, narrow medially and slightly interrupted; sixth 

 segment with enclosed space bounded by a sharp carina which is fringed with 

 rather long golden hair; venter ferruginous, immaculate. Length .65 inch. 



%. — Black, clothed with a rather dense, long whitish pubescence; all be- 

 neath antennae, two spots on prothorax above, postscutellum, sometimes band 

 on scutellum and tegulse, lemon-yellow; tips of mandibles black; antennae fer- 

 ruginous, apical half black, terminal joint not longer than the preceding joint, 

 slight]}' bent and truncate at tip, scape sometimes varied with black; tuber- 

 cles, sometimes two spots on scutellum and occasionally the sides of metatho- 

 rax, ferruginous; wings paler than in 9 > ^ e S s ferruginous, anterior femora 

 •more or less black, four posterior coxae and trochanters beneath, four anterior 

 tibiae and tarsi, inner edge of posterior tibiae and their tarsi, lemon-yellow ; 

 basal joint of posterior tarsi straight, not dilated at apex ; abdomen coarsely 

 punctured, first two segments occasionally ferruginous; first segment sub- 

 globose, immaculate; four following segments each with a narrow yellow 

 apical band rather broadly dilated laterally, broader on second segment; sixth 

 segment with a lateral yellow spot; apical segment more or less ferruginous, 

 truncate at tip; venter ferruginous, immaculate. Length .60 — .65 inch. 



Seven % 9 specimens. (Belfrage; Boll.) The % closely resem- 

 bles that of venator, but may be separated at once by the short slightly 

 curved terminal joint of antennae and by the straight, linear basal 

 joint of posterior tarsi. 



