T. D. A. COCKERELL 31 



Cresson; superficially the two insects are almost exactly alike, 

 except for the light red hair on hind tibiae of caliginosa. The 

 venation is different, however, and the second and third abdominal 

 segments of atramentata are finely punctured all over, which is 

 hot true of caliginosa. The ej'es of atramentata distinctly con- 

 verge above, but this is not true of caliginosa. M. atramentata 

 also differs by the pointed hind knee-plate, and less copious 

 scope of hind legs. I have not attempted to extract the mouth- 

 parts of the unique type of M. atramentata, so its reference to 

 Melissodes is provisional. 



Melissodes nigroaenea (Smith) 



C'arcaraha, Argentina (Bruner). 64 is a male; 29 a female 

 with black hair at sides of metathorax, 89 a female with this hair 

 all pale. The hair of the mcsothorax above is gray, with a trans- 

 verse black band. Maxillary palpi in both sexes four-jointed, 

 joint four considerably shorter than three. These insects differ 

 appreciably from typical nigroaenea described by Smith; they 

 should probal^ly stand as subsp. tintinnans (Holniberg). 



Melissodes svastrina new species 



Male. Length, about 11 mm., anterior wing, 9.5 mm., flagellum, 9.2 mm.; 

 black, small joints of tarsi ferruginous; clypeus (except a .spot on each side, 

 not marginal) and large spot at base of mandibles lemon yelloAv; labrum 

 cream-color; mandibles ferruginous in middle, and with an orange band on 

 apic;al part; maxillary palpi very small, three-jointed, the two last joints very 

 short and stout; paraglossae reaching l)eyond middle of second joint of labial 

 palpi; first joint of labial palpi about 12S() microns long, second about 770; 

 facial (]uadrangle about scjuare; malar space linear; scape black, flagellum 

 bright ferruginous beneath and dusky above; third antennal joint very short, 

 l)roader than long; hair of head and thorax i)ale ochreous, becoming rich fulvous 

 on vertex and dorsum of thorax, and white on cheeks and under side of thorax, 

 while on scutellum anteriorly it is reddish-fuscous; tegulae ferruginous; wings 

 dusky hyaline, nervures and stigma ferruginous; second submarginal cell large, 

 receiving first recurrent nervure not far from end; legs with mainly pale hair, 

 but stained with sooty on hind tibiae i^osteriorly; spurs pale ferruginovis; ab- 

 domen with long ochreous hair on basal part of first segment; second segment 

 with a straight broad entire band of creani-colored foment um at base; third 

 with a very l)road band-of the same; fourth with a weak grayish Ixvnd beyond 

 middle, and before this arc long black hairs; fifth like fourth; ai)ical plate 

 very broadly truncate; the abdomen seems to have a very faint metallic t int . 



Carcarafia, Argentina (Hruner 31). On account of the three- 

 jointed palpi this is related to -1/. melochiac and .1/. minanim of 



TRANS. AM. ENT. SOC, XLIV. 



