18 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. 52. 



toward the distal end. The basal vein arises at the distal end of the 

 first submedian cell. 



The retinaculum on the hind wing, consisting of an unbroken row 

 of booklets, begins proximal to the origin of the radial vein, which 

 reaches near to the distal end of the wing. The median cell is long. 

 The cubitus arises quite near the distal end of the submedian cell. 

 The posterior distal angle of the submedial cell formed by the sub- 

 median and submedian cross veins is obtuse, sometimes approaching 

 a right angle. The submedian vein terminates in the anal sinus. 

 In some species the wings are more or less infumated, in others they 

 are hyaline. 



The pubescence is short and inconspicuous, especially on the fe- 

 males. The punctation is shallow, fine, and uniform affording little 

 ground for the separation of species. 



This generic description is based on a limited number of species 

 from the United States, Mexico, West Indies, Central and South 

 America 



KEY TO .SPECIES. 



Males. 



1. Lateral spines of seventh tergite pointed at tip; thorax maculated; firat tergite 

 with a double fascia interrupted medially; fasciae of follo^ving tergites not broken 

 into spots signata. 



1. Lateral spines of seventh tergite trimcate at tip; thorax immaculate; fascia on 

 third tergite reduced to four (rarely two) spots Carolina. 



Females. 



1. Scutum with a pair of lateral and pair of discal stripes; sternites 1-4 almost wholly 



yellow signata 



1. Scutum black; yellow on sternites confined to triangular lateral spots Carolina. 



STICTIA SIGNATA Linnaeus. 



Figs. 34, 35, 38, 39, 43. 



Vespa signata Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, vol. 1, 1758, p. 574. 

 Bembex signata Fabricius, Syst. Ent., 1775, p. 361. 



Bembex vcspiformis Olivier, Encycl. Meth., vol. 4, 1789, p. 290, pi. 106, fig. 18. 

 Monedula signata Lepeletier, Hym., vol. 3, 1845, p. 283. 



Monedula signata Handlirsch, Sitz. Akad. "Wissensch. Wien, Math.-Nat. CI., 

 vol. 99, 1890, p. 86. 



Male. — Black: Labrum, mandibles except apices, clypeus except 

 a pair of vertical lines basally which may be broken into spots, lower 

 part of frons usually extended medially above the insertion of the 

 antennae, scape below, broad anterior orbits ending above in a lateral 

 spot on either side of the anterior ocellus, posterior orbits broad 

 below, narrow above, and ending m a small spot on either side of the 

 vertex, posterior border of pronotum continued to the tubercles, 

 where it is united with a large spot on sides of prothorax, pair of 



