WASP GENUS CERCERIS — SCULLEN 517 



almost as broad at its base as it is long, sides converging to a slightly 

 narrower apical end. 



Both sexes of C. verticalis F. Smith superficially resemble those of 

 C. mimica Cresson. The females of these species can easily be sep- 

 arated by the quite different clypeal processes. The males are sep- 

 arated by the form of the pygidium, which is much narrower on 

 C. mimica Cresson. The latter also has a very distinctive series of 

 lateral clusters of bristles on each sternite. 



Types. — The type female of C. verticalis F. Smith, from Georgia, 

 is at the British Museum, no. 21.1,431. The type male of C. gnara 

 Cresson and the type female of C. firma Cresson, both from Texas, 

 are deposited at the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, 

 nos. 1938 and 1945, respectively. 



Distribution. — Through the South Central and South Eastern 

 States, from Kansas south to Texas and east to North Carolina and 

 Florida, south into Mexico. 



Prey record. — None. 



Plant record. — Ampelopsis arborea (Florida), cactus (Kansas), 

 Cirsium sp. (Texas), Daucus carota (Florida), Melilotus alba (Florida), 

 Petalostemon multifiorum (Texas), Ptilimnium capillaceum (Florida), 

 Polytaenia nuttallii (Texas) . 



76. Cerceris vicina Cresson 



Figures 101, 181a,b,c 



Cerceris vicina Cresson, 1865, p 120. — Packard, 1866, p. 61. — Cresson, 1887, 

 p 282.— Schletterer, 1887, p. 505.— Ashmead, 1890, p. 32— DaUa Torre, 

 1897, p. 481.— Ashmead, 1899, p. 296.— Smith, H S , 1908, p. 367.— Miekel, 

 1917b, p. 450.— Banks, 1947, p. 20.— ScuUen, 1951, 1011. 



Cerceris -plahjrhina Viereck and Cockerell, 1904, p. 133. — Vioreck, 1906b, pp. 234, 

 239. — Scullen, 1942, p. 188 (erroneously synonymized with morata Cresson) 

 (new synonymy). 



Female. — Length 14 mm. Black with yellow and ferruginous 

 markings; punctation and pubescence average. 



Head subequal in width to the thorax; most of face below antennal 

 scrobes yellow bordered with ferruginous, otherwise black except for 

 spots back of compound eyes, base of mandibles, and scape, all of 

 which are yellow bordered by ferruginous; clypeal border with two 

 very broad and rounded extensions on the medial lobe, between which 

 is a deep depression; cljqDeal process with the sides converging to a 

 narrow truncate apical end, which is slightly emarginate; mandibles 

 with three distinct denticles, the most apical one much the largest; 

 antennae normal in form. 



