472. 

 SMIERA MACLEANII. 



Order Hymenoptera. Fam. Cynipidae or Chalcididce. 



Type of the Genus, Sphex sispes Linn. 



Smiera Spin., Curt. — Chalcis Fab., Dal., Lat., Jur., Panz. — Sphex 

 Linn. 



Antenna inserted at the middle of the face, as long as the head 

 and thorax, geniculated, 13-jointed, basal joint long and stout, 

 2nd and 3rd small, the former cup-shaped, the latter transverse, 

 4th longer than the following which decrease in length, the 3 ter- 

 minal joints forming a subcorneal mass (1 <J) ; the basal joint 

 longer in the female and the apical mass more ovate (1 $). 

 Labrum exserted, small, transverse, the sides rounded, anterior 

 margin ciliated with longish hairs (2). 

 Mandibles short, one trifid (3), the other bifid at the apex. 

 Maxillce terminated by an oblique oval and ciliated lobe. Palpi 

 rather long slender pilose and 4-jointed, basal and 3rd joints 

 rather short, 2nd longer, 4th very long and subfusiform (4). 

 Mentum elliptic, truncate before and notched to receive the Palpi 

 which are not short ; triarticulate, 2nd joint a little shorter than 

 the 1st, 3rd a little longer and pilose, subovate at the apex (5). 

 Head broad and short, emarginate before, loith a tooth in the middle : 

 eyes lateral prominent and globose : ocelli 3 in triangle. Thorax 

 ovate-truncated before ; collar distinct ; scutellum bidentate. Ab- 

 domen small, trigonate-ovate, compressed, attached by a long stout 

 petiole, 1 -jointed in the male (7 S)> 8-jointed in the female : oviduct 

 concealed beneath. Wings, superior ivith afeio indistinct longitudi- 

 nal nervures, a subcostal nervwe, united with the costa at the middle 

 and forming a small peduncled cordate stigma a little beyond it ; in- 

 ferior wings small. Hind legs very large, the Coxre as long us the 

 Thighs which are lentiform and serrated beneath ; the Tibiae scythe- 

 shaped, pointed and acute at the apex. Tarsi 5 -jointed. Claws and 

 pulvilli sma//. (8, hind leg, the first joint being the Coxa.) 



Macleanii Curt. Guide, Gen. 653. 3. 



In the Author's Cabinet. 



Smiera is distinguished from Eucharis by its curved posterior 

 tibiae, and from Chalcis by the length of the petiole. I sus- 

 pected from the manner in which the S. sispes hovers about 

 and settles upon the rushes, that the female laid her eggs in 

 larvae either upon or inside the stalks, but we learn from 

 Latreille that these insects " deposit their eggs in the nymphae 

 of the Stratiomydte or of some other diptera, the larvae of 

 which live in the water." 



I shall now describe the British species. 



