128 S. A. ROHWER. 



throughout, the fourth antennal joint is not longer than the 

 third, the metanotum is furrowed, etc. It may be known 

 from sericatus Cress., by the smaller size, the sparsely punctured 

 thorax and vertex, etc. It is also related to obscuranus Roh. 

 (from the same locality), but the red legs, the impressed line 

 from the lower ocellus, the shining thorax, the ferruginous 

 venation will easily separate it from that species. 



Tachytes minutiis n. sp. 



Male. — Length 5 mm. Anterior margin of the clypeus rounded 

 out, with two small lateral teeth, these teeth are quite small and 

 specimens may be found in which they will be wanting; not carinated; 

 granular. Front and vertex shining with a few scattered distinct 

 punctures. Interocellar area strongly parted; an indicated furrow to 

 between antennae; behind the lateral ocelli is an elongated depression. 

 Space between the eyes at the vertex about the same as the length of 

 the second, third and fourth antennal joints. Antennae normal; joint 

 three a very little shorter than joint four; apical joint a little longer 

 than the preceeding one, tapering. Dorsulum and scutellum shining, 

 with distinct, separated punctures. Scutellum not impressed. Meso- 

 pleurae punctured similar to dorsulum. Metanotum at the base finely 

 granular, the apical third impunctate, highly polished, with a small 

 fovea in the middle. Metapleuree punctured like mesopleurae. Pos- 

 terior face rather coarsely granular, with a distinct V-shaped fovea 

 above. Legs rather robust; rather strongly spined; longer spur of 

 the posterior tarsi longer than basitarsus; anterior femora not emar- 

 ginate; anterior coxae without a spine. Second cubital cell broader 

 at the top than the third. Abdomen shining, finely tessellated. Eight 

 ventral plate deeply, broadly, subangularly emarginate; lobes nar- 

 row and acute. Black; mandibles piceous; tegulae and four apical 

 joints of tarsi ferruginous or rufous. Front, clypeus, thorax, abdomen 

 somewhat, with long silvery hairs. Hair of the pygidial area a little 

 yellowish. Wings hyaline, iridescent; venation pale brownish. 



Habitat. — Lee Co., Texas, September and August, 1905 (G. 

 Birkmann). 



This is the smallest Tachytes yet described from North 

 America. It looks much like a Tachysphex, but has the ocelli 

 and hairy pygidium of Tachytes. According to Mr. Fox's 

 arrangement, it belongs to Section I, but it is not close to any 

 species in that group. It is, however, similar to species be- 

 longing to Section II. It is most closely related to T. minor 

 Roh., from the same locality, but the black tibiae and more 

 shinging front exclude it from that species. 



