pepsestae: tribe pepsini 9 



character is held in common with a few Psanunocharinae as well as 

 with the Ceropalinae. The serrate dorsal edge of the hind tibia, 

 though a helpful recognition mark is not reliable as a subfamily 

 character, being absent in many groups and present in a few of the 

 Psammocharinae (e.g., Priochilus). 



In addition to the key characters, it should be mentioned that the 

 thorax of the Pepsinae does not have the indefinable oblique and 

 streamlined shape so characteristic of the other two subfamilies. 



There are two tribes, distinguishable as indicated in the key. 



Key to the tribes of the subfamily Pepsinae 



1. Cubital vein of forewing present and pigmented to the wing margin (except in 

 Priocnessus and in a few species of other genera) ; first tergite in dorsal view 

 with the sides straight or slightly convex, laterally with a crease which marks 

 off an epipleurite (fig. l,c); parapenial lobe of male genitalia not decurved at 



the apex to form a hook Pepsini (p. 9) 



Cubital vein of forewing evanescent at the tip, not reaching the wing margin; 

 first tergite in dorsal view with the sides usually somewhat concave toward 

 the base, laterally usually without a crease marking off an epipleurite 

 (in the Western Hemisphere, only Phanagenia has this crease); parapenial 

 lobe of male genitalia rather slender, decurved at the apex to form a 

 hook Macromerini (p. 140) 



Tribe Pepsini 



Cubital vein of forewing usually reaching wing margin (pi. 1, 

 figs. 1-10); hind tibia usually with an external dorsal serration 

 (fig. l,e); first abdominal tergite broad, not constricted subbasally, 

 so that when seen from above the sides are straight or weakly convex; 

 suture or fold separating epipleurum of first abdominal segment from 

 the tergite always present (fig. l,c); last tergite of mde seldom with 

 a dorsal whitish spot; parapenial lobe of male genitalia not decurved 

 apically to form a hook. 



This tribe includes some of the largest and showiest species of the 

 family (especially in Pepsis and Hemipepsis), some of medium size, 

 and some of small size (as in Dipogon, Priocnemis, and Calicurgus). 

 Some of the genera are easily distinguished, but a large complex 

 including the Nearctic Chirodamus, Priocnemioides, and Cryptocheilus, 

 and a number of additional exotic genera (Cyphononyx, Monodontonyx, 

 Mygnimia, Paracyphonyx, etc.) presents a confusing array of species 

 with types intermediate to almost any generic limits that may be 

 selected. In this situation, there are the alternatives of including all 

 in one broad genus, embracing many groups of varying size and dis- 

 tinctness, or attempting a larger or smaller number of generic separa- 

 tions, some of which would be difficult to defend because of inter- 

 mediate species. I have chosen the latter course, because it is closer 

 to previously published classifications, results in little generic diflficulty 



