AMPULEX. 



Genus AMPULEX. 



25;? 



Chlorinn, pt., Fabr. Si/st. Piez. p. 217 (1804). 

 Ampulex, Jurine, Byvi. p. l-"'2, pi. 14 (1807). 

 Rbinopsis, pt., Westiv. Arcan. Ent. ii, p. «8 (1844). 

 Waageuia, pt., Kriechb. Stettin, ent. Zeit. xxxv, p. 5o (1874). 



Type, A. compressa, Fabr. 

 Range. Both hemispheres. 



Head flat ; eyes with their inner orbits either parallel or cou- 

 veri^ent towards the vertex of the head, never divergent; antennae 

 filiform, short, and somewhat stout in proportion in some species ; 

 front often with carina) extending upwards from 

 the base of the antennae ; clypeus shaped some- 

 what like a ploughshare ; the medial carina 

 generally large, ending in a tooth or bifurcating 

 towards the apex ; mandibles sickle-shaped, simple 

 in the female, dentate in the male. Prothorax 

 elongate, the posterior middle portion raised, 

 the raised portion narrower than the mesonotuin, 

 the posterior angles at a distance from the base 

 of the wings; mesonotam broad, marked with 

 longitudinally impressed furrows ; median seg- 

 ment flat above, slightly narrowed towards the 

 Fig. 67. apex, and roundly truncate posteriorly, aboAe 



comp^^m? 1. ^^'th several longitudinal carinse, the space 

 '" between which is more or less closely trans- 

 versely striate, the posterior lateral angles of the segment almost 

 always with one or more erect tubercles ; legs long, stout, the 

 tibise and tarsi slightly spinose, the intermediate cox* separated 

 by a more or less narrow plate which forks posteriorly, intermediate 

 tibiffi with two apical spines, claws toothed. Wings rather short ; 

 fore wing with one radial and two or three cubital cells, the forms 

 with two cubital cells plainly derived from the form with three 

 cubital cells by the obliteration of the 1st transverse cubital 

 nervure, the beginning of which can be often traced in various 

 two-celled species; when three cubital cells are present, the 1st 

 and 3rd are subequal, each receiving a recurrent nervure, the 2nd 

 small, square, or broadly rectangular. Abdomen pseudo-petiolate, 

 the basal segment never narrowed into an actual petiole as in 

 Sphea\ generally roundly steep at base, the apex of the 1st segment 

 in most cases constricted ; the apical segments compressed, some- 

 times extraordinarily so, the 2nd ventral segment produced more 

 or less at a right angle to the plane of the 1st, the joint between 

 the median segment and the abdomen exceedingly flexible, the 

 insect being able to double its abdomen beneath the thorax and 

 pi-otrude its sting between the fore legs in front. 



These beautiful insects are predatory on cochroaches {Blatta). 

 In Burma I have frequently seen these wasps come into the house 

 and search for their prey under boxes and f urnitun;. In the forest 

 once I watched a rather large specimen of A. compressa., Fabr., 



