TRANSACTIONS 



OF THE 



AMERICAN ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



VOLXJNIE XXVIII. 



DESCRIFTIOl^S OF SOUIE 9IITTIL,I.A FROIVI BRAZIL. 



BY E. T, CRESSON. 



The species described in this paper were collected several years 

 ago in various parts of Brazil by Mr. Herbert H. Smith, and by 

 him placed in my hands for determination. Some of them will 

 doubtless prove to be identical with species already described by 

 Klug, Burnieister, Gerstsecker, Smith and others, as the descrip- 

 tions given are in many cases too meagre for accurate identification, 

 and a comparison with the types will be necessary in order to settle 

 the matter. I have therefore given a tolerably full description of 

 most of the species, some of which are amazingly alike in genei'al 

 appearance, while differing in characters that appear to be constant, 

 but may, with a larger series of specimens, prove to be only varieties. 



Owing to the great dissimilarity of the sexes, it is quite impossible 

 to correlate them without a knowledge of their true relationship, and 

 until this has been ascertained, it seems best to consider them as dis- 

 tinct species, and to treat them accordingly. 



Mr. Smith has very kindly furnished me with the following inter- 

 esting notes on the localities in which he collected, and which will 

 amply explain the habitat given after the description of the species. 



"The distribution of the Brazilian Mutillidae is interesting be- 

 cause they seem to be almost confined to the more or less open lands 

 called campo. This word requires an explanation. 



"The country people distinguish various kinds of land bv their 

 vegetation ; but, excluding the river bottoms, swamps and seashore, 

 the whole of Brazil may be broadly divided into true forest and 

 campo. The plants and animals of each vary to some extent, 



TRANS. AM. ENT. SOC, XXVIII. (1) .JANUAKY, 1902. 



