394 



Head with 6 short, stout thorns on upper anterior margin, central 

 pair more widely separated than the others, so that the whole appears 

 as if divided into 2 groups of 3 each; the lower 2 thorns in each 

 group apparently on a single base (PI. LVI, Fig. 6); the pair of 

 thorns on lower portion of central line of face almost conical, widely 

 separated at base; 4 short hairs above base of upper cephalic thorns 

 and one on each side of the lower central thorns. Prothoracic 

 spiracles circular, rather large, margined with minute radiating 

 rugae ; metathoracic spiracles indicated by a small elevation ; the nor- 

 mal thoracic hairs present ; wing-cases without discal protuberance. 

 Transverse armature of first dorsal abdominal segment consisting of 

 a large number of closely place flattened hairs, which are at least as 

 long as head and thorax combined ; dorsal segments 2-6 with the 

 median portion of the transverse armature consisting of a number of 

 short stout thorns which are turned up at bases and apices, giving 

 them the appearance of furcate thorns with one point directed caudad 

 and the other cephalad; seventh segment with 2 short simple thorns 

 on each side of median line ; laterad of the thorns on all segments are 

 a number (12-20) of long flattened hairs which are very closely 

 placed; postspiracular hairs very long, and, like the others, minutely 

 pubescent; ventral segments each with 2-4 long flattened hairs in a 

 transverse series on each side at middle; eighth segment with 4 hairs, 

 one dorso-lateral and one latero-ventral on each side ; apical segment 

 terminating in 2 long, stout, slightly divergent, acutely pointed 

 processes (Figs. 5, 7). 



Described from a specimen submitted by W. L. McAtee which was 

 obtained from a burrow of Xylocopa znrginica in a pine-roofed porch 

 at Plummers Island, Md., July 31, 1910. 



Osten Sacken says of this species, without indicating his authority, 

 "said to be a parasite of Xylocopa virginica in the United States"* ; 

 and Davidson has recorded it as a parasite of Xylocopa opifex at Los 

 Angeles, Calif. f 



Xylocopa virginica occurs in the southern half of Illinois, the most 

 northerly record we have being Charleston; and simson is represented 

 in our collection by examples from Thebes, Grand Tower, and Graf- 

 ton — all in the southern half of the state. 



*Biol. Cent. Amer., Vol. 1, p. 100. (1886) 

 tEnt. News, Vol. 4, 1893, p. 1.53. 



