PSYCHE. 



THE tIABITS OF THE ACULEATE HYMENOPTERA.— III. 



BY WILLIAM H. ASHMEAD, WASHINGTON, D. C. 



Fauiilv V. Mellinidae. This 

 family (if we can call it a family) is 

 represented in onr fauna by one genus 

 witli three species, and as these are 

 exceedingly rare, no observations on any 

 of them have been made. Westwood, 

 however, has observed the European 

 MclUmis ai-vensis burrowing in sand- 

 banks, and Shuckard states the species 

 preys upon Diptera. Kirby and Spence 

 also say it selects the smaller flies, 

 including the troublesome Sionioxys 

 ca/citrans. 



Family VI. Mlmesidae. In this 

 family we have 17 described species, 

 distributed in two genera ; the habits of 

 none of them seem to be known. 



According to Shuckard, the species 

 belonginc: to the genus Psen Latr. 

 nidificate in sand ; whereas, those of 

 Mimesa Shuck., according to West- 

 wood, appear to be wood-burroweis 

 anil provision their cells with the larvae 

 of diflereiit species of Homopterous 

 insects. 



Family VII. Philanthidae. This 

 family is well represented in our fauna, 

 by no less than seventy-five species, 

 distributed in four genera. 



Westwood, whom I have drawn upon 

 for many of the facts recorded in this 

 paper, states that the species belonging 

 to the genus Cerceris Latr. show 

 considerable diversity in habits. The 

 economv of Cerceris ornata, according 



to Walckenaer, forms its nest in foot 

 paths, and other situations exposed to 

 the sun, to the depth of five inches, but 

 in a tortuous direction, provisioning 

 them with difi'erent species of Halictus, 

 four being requisite for the food supply 

 of one larva. 



In the Trans, ent. soc. Lond. i, p. 

 203, Westwood gives an interesting 

 account of the habits of Cerceris 

 areiiarius Linn, which forms a burrow 

 in the sand and provisions it with a 

 species of Cuculionid (Strophosomus) 

 which it carries in flight by means of 

 its four fore legs, its hind legs being 

 extended. Other short-snouted weevils 

 are also employed, such as Pachygas- 

 ter picipes.: rancuss, etc. According 

 to Latreille, Cerceris aurita employs 

 Lixus ascanii and other weevils. 

 Westwood also mentions a cocoon of 

 one of these species covered with 

 debris of a multitude of a species of 

 Chrysis, which he considered had 

 probably served for food of the larva of 

 one of these insects; while Packard, in 

 his Guitle, states that "Dufour unearthed 

 in a single field thirty nests of C. 

 bupresticida which were filled with 

 ten species of Buprestis, comprising 

 four hundred individuals, antl none of 

 any other genus ; also that C. tuberc?i- 

 lata provisions its nest with Leuco- 

 somus ophthalmicus^ and C. tricincta 

 with Clvthra." 



