276 E. T. CRESSON. 



Melissodes Comanche, n. sp. 



9. — Black; face, elypeus, labrum and cheeks clothed with a short dense 

 ochraceous pubescence, the occiput with a long pale fulvous pubescence ; tips 

 of mandibles fulvous; flagellum beneath except two basal joints fulvo-testace- 

 ous; thorax clothed with a very dense bright fulvo-oehraceous pubescence, 

 darker on mesothorax, longer and paler on postscutellum, metathorax and 

 pleura beneath ; a round patch on posterior middle of mesothorax and the scu- 

 tellum clothed with a dense black pubescence; tegulae brown: wings pale 

 fuliginous and violaceous at apex, yellowish at base; legs piceous-brown, tibiae 

 and tarsi densely clothed with a fulvo-oehraceous pubescence, reddish brown 

 within, short on two anterior pairs, long on posterior pair, tarsi ferrujjinous ; 

 abdomen shining, very minutely })unctured, basal two-thirds of first segment 

 and sides of apical third clothed with an ochraceous pubescence, narrow basal 

 margin of second segment, and oblique line on each side of second and third 

 segments, and a broad apical band on fourth segment, of short, dense, appressed 

 pale ochraceous pubescence, almost white in certain lights, lateral basal mar- 

 gin of third segment, and basal margins of three following segments of black 

 pubescence, apical margins of two apical segments fringed with long fulvo- 

 oehraceous pubescence, disk of apical segment as in atrip es ; venter piceous- 

 brown, the segments fringed with brown pubescence. Length .80 inch. 



%. — More slender than 9j elypeus, labrum and spot at base of mandibles 

 yellowish-white; antennae as long as head and thorax, flagellum fulvo-testa- 

 ceous beneath; abdomen narrower, less distinctly marked than in 9 ) second 

 segment with a broad band of appressed ochraceous pubescence at base and 

 the third and fourth each with a subbasal narrow, arcuate band of ochraceous 

 pubescence, sometimes interrupted on basal middle, leaving only an oblique 

 spot on each side, apical segments clothed with black pubescence; venter 

 clothed entirely with black pubescence. Length .75 inch. 



Five specimens. (Belfrage; Boll.) The 9 of this species closely 

 resembles that of obliqua, but the latter species has the pubescence of 

 the pleura and four anterior legs entirely black, the patch of black 

 pubescence on posterior middle of mesothorax is very broad and 

 quadrate, and the second abdominal segment is entirely black except 

 basal margin. The males of the two species are entirely different. 



Melissodes texana, n. sp. 



9. — Black; face and elypeus clothed with a short dense pale ochraceous 

 pubescence, occiput and cheeks with dense ochraceous pubescence; elypeus 

 sometimes tinged with brown; labrum with golden yellow hair; mandibles 

 with a fulvous spot or line near apex, sometimes obsolete; antennae short, 

 black or brown above, more or less varied with brown or testaceous beneath ; 

 thorax clothed with a dense ochraceous pubescence, longer and paler on meta- 

 thorax and pleura, posterior disk of mesothorax and the scutellum more or less 

 nude; tegulse varies from testaceous to piceous; wings subhyaline, more or 

 less dusky at apex, base sometimes tinged with yellowish; legs vary from 

 piceous to fulvo-testaceous, clothed with ochraceous pubescence when free from 

 pollen which makes the pubescence sometimes ferruginous, sometimes bright 

 yellow ; abdomen shining, very minutely punctured, basal half of first segment 



