456 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. lis 



Abdomen largely ferruginous with yellowish-white markings; 

 semidivided patches of yellowish white on tergam 1; terga 2 to 5 

 with broad yellowish white bands deeply emarginate with ferruginous 

 anteriorly and the basal margins of all terga black; venter light 

 amber with yellow spots on sternitcs 2 to 5; pygidium narrowing 

 apically to a rounded end. 



Male. — Unknown. Mickel (1918, p. 336) indicated C. jugatrix 

 Mickel might be the male of C. alceste Mickel. 



The secondary process on the sides of the clypeal process of the 

 unique holotype of C. alceste Mickel and its greater amount of ferru- 

 ginous markings are the only characters that separate it from speci- 

 mens of C. stigmosalis Banks {C. jugatrix Mickel). This similarity 

 to the latter species and the fact that C. alceste Mickel is represented 

 only by the unique holotype, which was taken at Michell, Nebr., 

 on the same date as the male type of C. jugatrix Mickel, indicates the 

 holotype female of C. alceste Mickel is only an extreme abnormality 

 of C. stigmosalis Banks. This view is supported further by the fact 

 that some female specimens of C. stigmosalis Banks show slight in- 

 dications of elevations on the sides of the clypeal process. 



Type. — The holotype female of C. alceste Mickel, from Mitchell, 

 Nebr., Aug. 4, 1916 (C. E. Mickel), is at the University of Nebraska. 



Distribution. — The species is known only from the type locality 

 of Mitchell, Nebr. 



Prey record. — None. 



Plant record. — None. 



46. Cerceris astarte Banks 



Figures 67, 149a,b,c 

 Cerceris astarte Banks, 1913b, p. 424, pi. 1, fig. 12.— ScuUen, 1951, p. 1005. 



Female. — Length 10 mm. Black with yellow markings; punc- 

 tation and pubescence average. 



Head subequal in width to the thorax; black except for large frontal 

 eye patches, spot on the clypeal process, and evanescent small spot 

 back of compound eye, and small spot on the scape, all of which are 

 yellow; border of the clypeus with four prominent denticles, the mesal 

 pair somewhat the larger, the clypeal process short, with the sides 

 converging to a rounded apex; mandibles with two denticles that 

 are broad and low, the more basal one bifid; antennae normal in 

 form, dark except for a small yellow spot on the scape. 



Thorax black except for two widely separated spots on the prono- 

 tum, the metanotum, large patches on the propodeum, and patches 

 on the tegulae, all of which are yellow; tegulae low and smooth; 

 enclosure faintly ridged longitudinally in the center but with ridges 

 more pronounced laterally and with a medial groove; mesosternal 



