210 ERNEST A. BACK. 



with the base of the third, the three dorsal thoracic stripes, the spots 

 of the pleura?, the thoracic stripes, the scutellum, the broad abdominal 

 fasciae, the vittae of the fore femora, the anterior side of the posterior 

 femora and the hind tibiae nearly wholly black. 



Rather rufous, subopaque, clothed with pale straw or somewhat 

 whitish pile and rigid bristles, except the bristles of the vertex and 

 front, and the short pile on the thoracic dorsum which are largely dark 

 red or black. Head, excepting the oral margin, black, subochraceous 

 pruinose, antennae dark red, the second segment and the base of the 

 third black, the extreme apex of the latter and the terminal style 

 fuscous. Palpi black. Dorsal stripes of thorax black, all three equal, 

 the lateral ones much abbreviated anteriorly. Scutellum black. 

 Pleurae with black spots. A very broad, black basal vitta on each of 

 the first five abdominal segments, on the sixth segment three black 

 vitta? are present, running together before the posterior margin, the 

 seventh segment similarly marked to the sixth but with the middle 

 vitta shortened into a fine line; the eighth segment short, except the 

 basal spot, black. Venter rufous, posterior margin of the seventh 

 segment and the eighth segment black or nigro-piceous. Pile of the 

 abdomen quite short, that of the last segment supine. Legs rufous, 

 the anterior and intermediate femora with black markings, the anterior 

 spot broader; the anterior side of the posterior femora black; posterior 

 tibiae black, the inner side, except the apical third, reddish. Wings 

 rather short, lightly infuscate, veins fuscous, transverse median vein 

 spotted with fuscous; first and fourth posterior cells closed and peti- 

 olate, the third much dilated. 



Type— ML. C. Z. 



Habitat. — California (type). 



The single type of picticornis is a very badly greased female. 

 As it stands, it is most easily distinguished from any of the 

 group, aside from ceacidinus, by its dark brick-red color; the 

 three broad black thoracic stripes stand out distinctly on the 

 dark red dorsum; on the pleurae there is a large black spot 

 covering the humeri, central portion and the mesopleurae, and 

 other less definable spots above the coxae. The black fasciae 

 of the abdominal segments alternating with the red hind 

 margins of the segments make the abdomen very uniquely 

 colored. Bristles of whole body pale straw-colored. Tri- 

 chostical bristles present ; first and fourth posterior cells closed 

 and petiolate. 



There are two specimens from Lance Creek, Wyo. (Aug. 14, 

 1895), at the American Museum, two specimens from Custer 



