Sphecapata. 231 



Geographical distribution: — Europe down into France; not 

 known from Sweden, but occurring to northern Finland. 



35. Spliecapata Rond. 



{Sphixapata.) 



Small whitish or brownish grey pruinose species with black 

 spots. Head slightly broader than thorax, flat behind and a little 

 puffed out below, almost as long as high. Frons not as broad as the 

 eye, equal in both sexes, somewhat strongly protruding; cheeks 

 broad and jowls nearly one third of the height of the eye. In both 

 sexes ocellar, inner and outer vertical and two orbital bristles. Distinct 

 postocellar and occipital bristles. Behind postocular bristles black 

 hairs. Frontal bristles reaching to lunula, outwards above a reclinate 

 bristle in both sexes. Cheeks with fine and very sparse hairs. Vibrissæ 

 not ascending; vibrissal ridges rather converging below; a large 

 vibrissa present. Eyes with the facets a little enlarged towards inner 

 margin. Epistoma not retreating and the head thus somewhat square 

 in profile; the epistoma reflected and somewhat protruding below. 

 Proboscis and oral cone of medium length. Palpi thread-like. An- 

 tennæ inserted at about middle of the eye, third joint not much longer 

 than second; arista bare, with second joint distinct, but not elongated. 

 Thorax rectangular; three postsutural dorsocentrals and a pair of 

 præsutural and præscutellar acrostichals. Scutellum with three marg- 

 inal bristles on each side. Two sternopleural bristles. Pteropleura with 

 a small bristle above. Abdomen conical or somewhat ovate; excava- 

 tion on second segment not reaching hind margin; only marginal 

 bristles, on second segment none. Legs with claws and pulvilli in male 

 elongated. Wings with first posterior cell narrowly open or just 

 closed, ending somewhat before apex of wing; discai angle rectangular 

 with a weak veinlet; no costal spine. 



The species occur especially in sandy piaces; one is known from 

 nests of fossorial wasps. 



Of the genus about a score of European species are recorded, 

 one occurs in Denmark. 



1. S. conica Fall. 



1810. Fall. Vet. Acad. Handl. XXXI, 270 et 1820. Dipt. Suec. Muse. 

 19, U {Tachma). — 1824. Meig. Syst. Beschr. IV, 232, 13 (Miltogramma). — 



