512 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. no 



73. Cerceris tolteca Saussure 



Figures 98, 178a,b,c 



Cerceris tolteca Saussure, 1867, p. 94. — Schletterer, 1887, p. 504. — Cameron, 1890, 

 p. 109.— Dalla Torre, 1897, p. 478.— Ashmead, 1899, p. 296.— Scullen, 1961, 

 p. 48. 



Cerceris cosmiocephala Cameron, 1904, p. 67. 



Female. — Length 11 mm. Black to dark amber with yellow and 

 light amber markings; punctation light and not crowded; pubescence 

 average. 



Head subequal in width to the thorax, black except most of face 

 below antennal scrobes, line between the antennae, two elongate 

 patches on the vertex, patch back of the eye, basal half of mandibles, 

 and scape, all of which are yellow; clypeal margin with two prominent 

 and irregular elevations opposite the lateral angles of tlie clypeal 

 process; between these two elevations a deep recess continuous with 

 the depression of the clypeal process; a prominent row of bristles 

 between the above marginal elevations, and the lateral angles of the 

 clypeal process extending to the bases of the mandibles; the clypeal 

 process closely resembling that of C. bicornuta Guerin in miniature 

 form but the dorsal surface of the process not lunar m C. tolteca 

 Saussure as in C. bicornuta Guerin; mandibles with a thin corina 

 extending from near the base of the mandibles to an abrupt denticle- 

 like endmg near the center of the mandible; apical end and denticle- 

 like process of the mandible dark amber; antennae normal in form. 



Thorax black except band on prothorax, semidivided band on the 

 scutellum and the metanotum, small elongate patches on the pro- 

 podeum and the tegulae, all of wnich are yellow somewhat tinged with 

 amber; tegulae low and smooth; enclosure smooth and shiny except 

 for a faint medial groove and pits along the lateral margins; meso- 

 sternal tubercles absent; legs dark amber to black on the coxae and 

 trochanters, light amber becoming yellow on the femora and yellow 

 amber beyond; wings subhyaline mth amber shading. 



Abdomen mth a broad yellow band posteriorly on tergum 1; 

 tergum 2 largely black to dark amber with lateral yellow patches and 

 traces of yellow posteriorly; tergimi 3 yellow; terga 4 and 5 with broad 

 yellow bands slightly emarginate with black; tergum 6 mostly yellow, 

 becoming somewhat amber on the pygidium ; venter dark amber with 

 small patches of yellow laterally on sternites 3, 4, and 5; pygidium 

 with sides convex and ends subequal in width. 



Male. — Length 9 mm. Black or dark amber with yellow markings ; 

 punctation and pubescence average. 



Head black except most of face, two elongate patches on the vertex, 

 patches back of the compound eyes, base of the mandibles, and the 

 scape, all of which are yellow; clypeal border with three denticles; 



