126 HYMENOPTERA- 



Family XIX. — Philanthidce. 



" Head wider than the thorax ; the intermediate tibiss armed 

 with a single spur at their apex ; the legs with the anterior tarsi 

 strongly ciliated." — (Smith.) 



In the genus Cerceris, Latr., the first segment of the abdomen 

 is naiTow, and all the segments are constricted at the extremities ; 

 this is much less the case in Philanthus, Fabr. ; but in the South 

 American genus Trachypus, Klug, the abdomen is petiolated. 

 Most of the species are black, with yellow spots and bands. Some 

 of the species provision their nests with beetles {Buprestidce, 

 Curcidiunidce, etc.) or grasshoppers ; but others attack bees, and 

 are very mischievous, destroying great numbers. Philanthus 

 Triangulum, Latr., was named P. Apivorus by Latreille on account 

 of this habit. 



HyMENOPTERA AcULEATA — DiPLOPTERA. 



Fore wings folded in repose ; species solitary or social ; both 

 sexes winged ; sides of the prothorax prolonged backwards to 

 the base of the wings ; four front tibiae with one spine at the tip ; 

 hind tibise with two. 



The Diploptera, or true Wasps, are divided into three families, 

 which we will now proceed to consider. 



Family XX. — Masaoidce. 



Solitary species ; antenme twelve-jointed in both sexes, but 

 the terminal joints frequently so closely welded together that the 

 antennae appear to be only eight-jointed ; fore wings with only 

 two sub-marginal cells ; abdomen hardly contractile, the second 

 segment not conspicuously larger than the others. 



The Masaridce are a small group of black, yellow-belted wasps 

 which are not found in Britain, though several species are met 

 with on the Continent, chiefly in the Mediterranean region. 

 They appear to be more numerous in Africa and Australia than in 

 other parts of the world. They are remarkable for the great dif- 

 ferences in the shape of the antennae, which present every grada- 

 tion between long and short, slender, or formed into a large club. 

 The club is largest in the genera Celonites, Latr., and Masaris, 

 Fabr, Celouites Abbreviatiis, Vill., was mistaken by Olivier for a 

 Cimbex, owing to the peculiar form of the antennas. The wings 



