504 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. lie 



Female. — Length 13 to 15 mm. Black with yellow markings; 

 punctation coarse, but not as close as on C. halone Banks, which it 

 most nearly resembles.^* 



Head lost from the type. 



Thorax with two patches on the pronotum, line on the scutellum, 

 and large patches on the propodeum, all of which are yellow; enclosure 

 deeply ridged; propodeum very coarsely sculptured. 



Abdomen with two lateral patches on tergum 1 separated by a 

 wedge-shaped emargination; tergum 2 with a broad but deeply 

 emarginate band, emargination deep and rounded; terga 3 and 4 with 

 narrower bands, emarginate; tergum 5 with a broad band, slightly 

 emarginate, emargination acute; apical sternite very deeply incised; 

 pygidium with sides converging slightly to a truncate apical end. 



The headless, unique type of Ves])a serripes Fabricius in the British 

 Museum has resulted in considerable confusion since Bequaert pub- 

 lished his note on it in 1928. This type has proven to be a misasso- 

 ciation based on a statement by R. E. Turner. On the basis of 

 Bequaert's published note, the writer published his 1942 paper and, 

 from 1942 to 1946, used the name Cerceris serripes (Fabricius) when 

 determining specimens of what formerly was and now is known as 

 (7. hicomuta Guerin. In 1946, specimens of C. hicornuta Guerin were 

 sent to Dr. Benson of the British Museum to be compared with the 

 type of Vespa serripes Fabricius. On June 20, 1946, Dr. Benson 

 reported that the type of V. serripes Fabricius is a female and not a 

 male as reported by Bequaert and, furthermore, that C. hicornuta 

 Guerin was "not even closely related to V. serripes." Since that date 

 the writer has reverted to using the name C. hicornuta Guerin. More 

 recently, several specimens representing species known to be near 

 C. serripes (Fabricius) have been compared carefully with that type 

 by Dr. Yarrow. As yet, none have been found that fully agree. 

 C. halone Banks appears to be the nearest. For the present, it seems 

 necessary to let C. serripes (Fabricius) remain a valid species until 

 there is an opportunity for some specialist to make a more exhaustive 

 study of the problem. 



Male. — Unknown. 



Type. — The holotype female of Vespa serripes Fabricius is in the 

 Banks collection at the British Museum. It bears the label "N. 



" This fragmental description is based on private correspondence with Drs. 

 Robert B, Benson and 1. H. H. Yarrow of the British Museum and Dr. J. Van 

 der Vecht of Reijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie, Leiden, Netherlands (via 

 Dr. Krombein). Sketches furnished by Dr. Benson and Dr. Van der Vecht 

 have been of material help. 



