108 AMERICAN HYMENOPTERA. 



iVIelissodes texana flaveria^ u. subsp.— 9. Length about 14 mm.; 

 width of abdomen about SV, length of anterior wing Hi mm. Black, with mostly 

 pale ochraceous hair, but bands on abdominal segments 2-4 white, those on 2 and 

 3 interrupted (widely on 2), and oblique; scutellum fringed with black hair; hair 

 on inuer side of basal joint of hind tarsi, and most of that on inner side of their 

 tibife, clear ferruginous; no black hair on vertex; hair of labrum pale yellow- 

 ish ; flagellum, except basal joint, red beneath; eyes silvery grey, tinted with 

 sea green; tegulte deep rufous; wings pale smoky, especially the broad apical 

 margin, the costal region strongly yellowish ; second submarginal cell very large 

 and broad, receiving the first recurrent nervure some distance from the end ; 

 hair of pleura entirely pallid, with an ochreous tint; hair of fifth abdominal seg- 

 ment pale purplish sooty in the middle, but broadly pale ochraceous at the sides. 



Agrees with M. texana in the general structure and appearance, 

 markings on second and third abdominal segments, light hair in 

 scutello mesothoracic suture, etc. It differs from texana in being 

 less robust, with the hair of the ventral surface of the abdomen pale 

 reddish (dark in texana), the hair at sides of fifth abdominal seg- 

 ment, which is much darker and redder in texana, the largely black- 

 ened femora (wholly deep red in texana), and the greenish eyes 

 (light reddish grey in texana). It is also allied to M. macluerantherce, 

 which has the same pattern on the abdomen, and the same colored 

 hair on the hind legs, but is larger tlian flaveria', with a red scape 

 and partly red clypeus, broader and flatter scutellum, etc. These 

 are, however, strictly of the saiiie group. 



M. maribd, on the other hand, differs entirely in the pattern of 

 the abdomen, and is not allied. In Robertson's twhl^, jiaverm runs 

 to M. coloradensis, but it differs from that species in the general 

 color of the pubescence, the shorter third antenna! joint, the larger 

 red tegulfe, etc. E.Kcept for the lack of black hair on the vertex, 

 flaverioe runs in my tables to Florilegus condignus, from which it 

 differs in the scopa of the hind tibise being large and profusely plu- 

 mose ; the hind middle of mesothorax rather densely, uniforndy 

 covered with small but distinct punctures (with no sign of the bare 

 space of condignus) ; and the much smaller and closer punctures of 

 the upper part of the clypeus. 'Nevertheless, Jlaverice and condig- 

 nus are very much alike superficially, and seen by the naked eye at 

 the distance of about a foot, especially from behind, they could 

 readily be taken for the same species. The first abdominal segment 

 of flaveria;, in certain lights, shows distinct metallic tints on its 

 broad base apical margin — a further indication of resemblance to 

 condignus. 



