ABT.9 DIGGER WASPS OF GENUS PODALONIA FERNALD 39 



PODALONIA PICEIVENTRIS (Cameron) 



Ammophila piceiventris Cameron, Biol. Centr.-Amer., Hym., vol. 2, p, 22, 1888. 

 Female and variety. 



One female in the British Museum bears Cameron's written label 

 '^Ammophila piceiventris Cam." but without the word "Type," and 

 the locality label is that given for the type. The description reads 

 as though prepared from a single specimen and I consider the example 

 as probably the type, even though it is not so labeled. 



I have seen nothing quite like this specimen, in coloration, else- 

 where. Cameron's description uses the word piceous, but to me the 

 color is nearer a brownish-red. This is evident on the petiole, 

 abdomen, legs, clypeus, frons, vertex, cheeks, and all plates on the 

 sides, but everywhere mingled with black (almost mottled) . 



Structurally it is very similar to luctuosa though more slender. 

 The clypeal margin somewhat resembles that of sonorensis, but is 

 without teeth, and the hairs, like sonorensis, have a bluish color at 

 some angles. 



I can not place this insect with any of those treated in this article, 

 and consider it either as a good species or a color freak, either of 

 luctuosa (which I greatly doubt) or of violaceipennis. 



The varieties mentioned by Cameron are, in my opinion, southern 

 examples of luctuosa. Structurally and in color they agree with this 

 species and the only difference I can see is that the specimens are 

 somewhat more slender. 



