WASP GENTJS CERCERIS — SCULLEN 335 



beetles of the genus Chlamisus, a Chrysomelidae resembling Bupresti- 

 dae only in their hard integument and their metallic luster." This 

 change of prey took place after Buprestidae ceased to fly. 



Two unpublished records (Princeton, N.J., July 5, 1948, by K. W. 

 Cooper, and Winchester, Va., July 23, 1961, by Frank Kurczewski) 

 of C. clypeata Dahlbom taking Lema trilineata Oliver, a Chrysomelidae, 

 have come to the writer's attention. C. clypeata normally takes 

 weevils. 



Noteworthy published contributions in the field of Cerceris biology 

 north of INlexico are summarized briefly below. 



The Peckhams (1898, pp. 108-117) report observations made on 

 C. clypeata Dalhbom, C. deserta Say, and C. nigrescens F. Smith. C. 

 clypeata Dahlbom was seen taking Balaninus nasicus Say. C. 

 deserta Say was reported taking Conotrcbchelus posticatus Boheman. 

 From Peckham's statement that C. deserta Say "closely resembles 

 clypeata," it would appear the observations were made on a species 

 other than the one accepted as deserta Say by Cresson, the present 

 writer, and others (see p. 478). The above beetles are Curculionidae. 

 The prey of C. nigrescens F. Smith was not recorded. In 1900 (p. 90) 

 the Peckhams published a brief note on C. fumipennis Say found 

 nesting in Wisconsin. This wasp was found collecting Chrysobothris 

 4-impressa Castelnaw. 



Hartman (1905, p. 66) in reporting briefly on the nesting habits of 

 C. fumipennis Say indicates it was collecting the weevil Conotrachelus 

 neocrataege} This species of wasp usually takes Buprestidae. 



Grossbeck (1912a, p. 135) reported briefly on observations made at 

 Yaphank, Long Island., N.Y., in 1911 on nesting Cerceris fumipennis 

 Say. He reported the wasp storing the following Buprestidae: 

 Dicerca punctulata (Schonherr), Buprestis lineata Fabricius, and 

 Chrysobothris floricola Gory. 



Rau and Rau (1918), reporting on field studies near St. Louis, Mo., 

 record the activities of C. fumipennis Say (pp. 126-127) and C. 

 finitima Ci-esson (p. 133). The former wasp was found using Argilus 

 abjectus Horn (Buprestidae). The prey of the latter wasp was not 

 recorded. It was found to have made a nest in the pith-chamber of a 

 weed-stalk although the Raus had noted it earher entering holes in the 

 ground as is usual for the genus. Rau (1928, pp. 325-341) reports 

 detailed studies of C. raui Rohwer {=C.frontata raui Rohwer), which 

 he found nesting at Jerseydale about thirty miles south of St. Louis, 

 Mo. This wasp was found using Thecesternus humeralis Say and 

 Lixus concamis Say. Rau here reports also on his studies of C. 

 bicornuta Guerin, which was using three species of billbugs, Spheno- 



^ C. neocrataege is not a valid name in the genus Conotrachelus. Correct identi- 

 fication of the material Hartman had is not possible. 



