338 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. lie 



was found to be storing its cells with four species of native Bruchidae 

 (Mylabridae) : Algarobius prosopis (LeConte), Mimosestes protractus 

 (Horn), M. amicus (Horn), and Neltumius arizonensis (Schaeffer). 

 Rau (1933, pp. 164-165) also reports a wasp (Cerceris near mexicana 

 Saussure) as collecting Bruchus. 



Krombein (1963, pp. 72-79) published his observations on nests of Cercer- 

 is blakei Cresson nesting in Florida. This was found to be storing its 

 cells mostly with the weevil Derelomus basalis LeConte but was also 

 taking the weevils Limnobaris confusa Bocheman, Anthonomus 

 sexguUatus Dietz, and Hyperodes sp. Less commonly taken were the 

 chrysomelid Graphops floridana Blake and the tenebrionid Blapstinus 

 interruptus (Say). 



Cazier presently is conducting careful studies into the biology of 

 several species of Cercerini at Portal, Ariz. It is probable that some 

 of his studies will be reported before this publication appears. 



Byers (1962, pp. 317-321) reports finding a colony of Cerceris halone 

 Banks nesting at Mountain Lake Biological Station on Salt Pond 

 Mountain near Pembroke in Giles Co., Va., in the summer of 1961. 

 This wasp was collecting Curculio nasicus (Say) as prey for its young. 

 The cuckoo wasp, Hedychrum violaceum Brulle, was observed entering 

 the wasp nest. At least three species of sarcophagid flies were re- 

 ported seen in the nesting area. 



Several of the above investigators have made it a point to determine 

 if the beetle prey is killed by the sting of the wasps or if it merely is 

 paralyzed. From the published reports it would appear there is no 

 consistency in this matter even with an individual wasp or within the 

 same species. 



Numerous floral visiting records are included on the labels of 

 specimens studied by the present writer. These and his own observa- 

 tions show that most, if not all, species of Cerceris have their prefer- 

 ences as to flowers visited for food by the adults. Open types of 

 flowers with a liberal supply of pollen seems to be the usual preference. 

 When the collector or student of Cerceris is looking for specimens in the 

 field, it is important to keep in mind this floral preference and to 

 remember that the difi^erent species of Cerceris may be visiting different 

 species of flora in the same locality at the same time. A record of the 

 flora on which they are collected is desirable. The flora from which 

 they may be collecting beetle prey may be quite different from the 

 flora visited for food by the adults. 



Morphology and taxonomic characters. — (Plate 1) . The writer 

 has found most of the descriptions of older species very inadequate. 

 For this reason and to make the descriptions uniform, all former 

 species have been redescribed. Illustrations have been provided 

 wherever it seemed desirable to clarify characters used. 



