ABT. 5 GENERIC EEVISION OF THE FOSSORIAL WASPS PAHKER 55 



RUBRICA SURINAMENSIS (Degeer) 



h' Figure 73 



1^ 



Apis siirinamensis Degeer, Mem. Hist. Ins., vol. 3, 177S, p. 569. 

 Monedula surinamensis Handlirsoh, Sitz. Akad. Wissensch. Wien, Math.-Nat. 

 CI., vol. 99, 1890, p. 115.— Dalla Toree;, Cat. Hym., vol. 8, 1897, p. 500. 



I have before me 50 specimens of this species and the variation 

 among them with regard to color is quite extensive. This variation 

 occurs with respect to the ground color as well as to the maculations. 

 On some specimens the ground color is predominantly black; on 

 others it is chiefly ferruginous; while on still others it is a combina- 

 tion of black and ferruginous. The maculations vary in color from 

 light creamy yellow to much darker shades of yellow and on a few 

 specimens the fasciae on the tergites show two shades, giving the 

 appearance of double fasciae. There is a wide variation in the macu- 

 lation of the scutum, especially on the females. At one extreme the 

 scutum is black with only narrow lateral lines of ferruginous ; at the 

 other extreme the lateral lines are broad and yellow and there is 

 present also a pair of very broad yellow discal lines, so that the black 

 on the scutum is almost obliterated. Specimens having the scutum 

 thus extensively maculated have the sides and ventral surface of the 

 body wholly yellow. If I had representatives of only these two 

 extremes I should be inclined to consider them as representing dis- 

 tinct species, but the series before me shows a well-marked gradation 

 from one extreme to the other. Furthermore, some specimens having 

 the scutum almost black have the sides and venter as decidedly yellow 

 as those with the scutum almost entirely yellow. 



SPECIMENS EXAMINED 



A.BGENTINA: Carcarana (Brunner) ; La Rioja (B. P. Clark). 



Bolivia: Corinas, Rio Beni (October, 1921, W. M. Mann); Rosario, Lake 

 Rogogua ("W. M. Mann) ; San Georgorio, Beni (October, 1921, W. M. 

 Mann ) . 



Brazil: Benevides, Para (October, 1918, S. M. Klages) ; Chapada; Obidos 

 ^ (August 14, 1919, Parish) ; Pernambuco (January 17, 1883) ; Suore 

 P Marojo, Para. 



British Gxhana : Georgetown. 



Colombia: Bogota; Las Flores, Santa Marta (December 25, 1922). 



Dutch Guiana. 



Paraguay: Sapucay (February 24, 1903, W. T. Foster). 



Peru: Piura (April 23, 1911). 



Trinidad, S. A. 



Venezuela: Maripa, Rio Caura (October, 1909, M. A. Carricker). 



RUBRICA DENTICORNIS (Handlirgch) 



Monedula denticornis Handlirsoh, Sitz. Akad. Wissensch. Wien, Math.-Nat. 

 CI., vol. 99, 1890, p. 119.— Dalla Torre, Cat. Hym., vol. 8, 1897, p. 497. 



This species so closely resembles surinaniensis that it is with much 

 difficulty that the two species can be separated. The males can be 



