FAMILY SCOLIID^. 197 



OpiiioN Pi'RCATvs? (Plate xxvii, fig. 6.) 



Antenna nearly as long as the body. Color honey-yellow, somewhat brownish : orbits 

 yellow ; wings hyaline, with two opake dots in the first cubital cellule. 

 This insect, though not longer than the torcguiug, is rather thicker and stouter. Length 

 about fuur-fil'ths of an indi. 



Xylocarp.\ vircinica. (Plate xxvii, fig. 1.) 



Body thick, pul>escent and hirsute ; thorax globular ; abdomen ovate ; eyes brown ; an- 



tenuiP short, slightly thickened at the extremities. Thorax and adjacent part of the 



abdomen clotlied with yellow hair : two-thirds of the posterior jiart of the abdomen 



black. Wings hyaline, yellowish, tijiiied with a dull ochre-yellow. Beneath the body 



and legs hairy, Idack inclining to bmwn. 



This insect attacks the dry woodwork of porticos, ceilings, etc. and completely burrows 



the inside, leaving a mere shell to support the framework. It always makes its entrance on 



the lower side of the railing, whence its operations are not readily detected. 



CcELioxis ANNULARIS. ( Plate xxvii, fig. 2.) 



Color black : face yellow : antennse black : thorax black ; margins lighter, and the disc 

 black : abdomen black ; rings annulated with yellowish white, pointed. Beneath the 

 body and legs, black. 



Scoliidae. 



ScoLiA FossiLANA. (Plate xxvi, fig. 10.) 



ScoLiA FOSSILANA ( Fabricius). Sphex plumipes ( Dniry). 

 Head pale yellow in front, black on the top and hairy : antennse black, shorter than the 

 thorax : neck hairy, lemon-colored : thorax black, and covered with yellow hairs : 

 wings dark brown, translucent : abdomen lemon-colored above, crossed by three 

 black lines, dark beneath : breast and arms black : legs hairy and black ; hinder 

 ones furnished with two remarkable long spines at the tips of the tibise : tarsi fur- 

 nished with strong pale yellow hairs. 



ScOLIA OCTOMACrLATA. 



Thorax black : scutel marked with a yellow line. Back of the abdomen dusky rufous, and 

 marked with eiglit yellow spots, four on each side of the median line : the middle 

 spots are oval, the first and last linear. The head is black ; the anterior margin of 

 the clyi>eus and base of the antennse, dull rulbus : thorax black, and feet rulbus. 

 The scolia are fond of dry sandy places, and feed on the honey of flowers. 



