(Page 348) 



The only European species of this genus, which is also found here, 



lives and completes its entire development in the nast of the large 



*asp Vespa crabro . which mostly occur in woodland regions, and of ten- 



«8t builds in old, hollov. trees. 



1. V. dilatatus Fabr. 



(Fabr. Mant. Ins. I, 220; firichs. Kaf. Mk. Br. I, 484; 3en. Spec. 

 Staph. 524; Kraatz Ins. D. II, 490; Thorns. Skand Col. II, 172; '.:uls. 

 et Rey Brevip. 1877, 466; Janglb. Kaf. li. II, 390) 



Black, feeble or dull shine; elytra and abdomen with short, black 

 hair, pronotum and the abdomen of finely metallic and silky change- 

 able color; distal joint of antennae reddish-yellow. 



Body large, broad and robust; the head much narrower than prono- 

 tum, with thick neck, especially fine and not dense punctation, the 

 surface extremely finely reticulate; antennae short and robust, their 

 middle- and next-last joints from the fourth to the tenth serrately 

 dilated, distal joint small. Pronotum is broader than elytra, much 

 broader than long, posterior margin and sides rounded so they form 

 one arch, dorsum convex at middle, posteriorly and at sides broadly 

 depressed, at middle anteriorly with few, dorsal punctures arranged 

 in pairs, along the margins with several bristle-bearing punctures, 

 the surface with especially fine, scattered punctation, and extrem- 

 ely finely reticulate. Elytra a little longer than pronotum, very 

 densely and finely punctate, dullj the abdomen tapering posteriorly, 

 with less dense and fine punctation than elytra. L. 15-24 mm. 



In the (5* the fore-tarsi are more strongly dilated than in O , 



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