10 Journal New York Entomological Society, [Voi. iv. 



SYNOPSIS OF THE SPECIES OF NYSSON INHABIT- 

 ING AMERICA, NORTH OF MEXICO. 



By William J. Fox. 



Handlirsch's monograph of this genus is, unfortunately, as far as 

 the American species are concerned, not as complete as his papers on 

 the allied genera. This is accounted for by the scarcity of American 

 material at his command, he having had but eight of the twenty-one 

 species then known from this region, two of which were described by 

 him for the first time. This lack of material probably accounts for the 

 absence from his paper of synoptic tables of our species; and it is 

 hoped the present paper will remedy this want. To be sure, our species 

 were tabulated by Cresson in 1882, but as our knowledge of characters, 

 both specific and sectional, has been increased since then, the present 

 paper can hardly be considered superfluous. 



The Tribe Nyssonini consists of the genera Alyson, Didineis and 

 Nysson, of which the two former were tabulated in 1894 * 



Females. 



1. Hind tibiae more or less serrated 2 



Hind libiffi not serrated 4 



2. Metanotum (postscutellum) bilobate ; size rather large; abdomen black, with 



yellowish maculations 3 



Metanotum without lobes ; size small ; first two segments of abdomen red. 



solani. 



3. Legs red texanus. 



Legs black f uscipes. 



4. Submedian (anal) cell of hind wings terminating somewhat beyond, or at the 



origin of the cubital vein 5 



Submedian cell of hind wings terminating before the origin of the cubital 

 vein II 



5. Scutellum margined, though not strongly, at the sides, covered with large, 



sparse, shallow punctures (spots on first abdominal segment largest) 6 



Scutellum not margined at the sides, strongly, and usually closely punctured. 8 



6. Second ventral segment at the base truncate, viewed from the side almost form- 



ing a right angle spinosus. 



Second ventral segment otherwise formed 7 



7. Pygidial area broad, subtruncate at tip, with large, somewhat confluent punc- 



tures; lateral spots of first dorsal segment covering almost the entire seg- 

 ment plagiatus. 



* Entomological News, VH. 



