1907] 
LOVELL AXD COCKERELL — EVIIECODWAE 
101 
THE SPIIECODIDAE OE SOTTHERX MAINE. 
liV J. II. LOVEI.L .\NI) T. I). .V. ('OCKEIiEI.I,. 
The genus Sphecodes i.s represented in this loeality by eight spei'ies, whiclihave 
been eollected chiefly in July and August. They visit a variety of flowers with easilv 
acce.ssible nectar, but the males liave been found most commonly upon the inflore.s- 
cenee of Solidago. The species are very variable in coloration, sculpture and the 
venation of the wings. All of the siiecies described in this jiaper have the mandibles 
bidentate. The Maine species may be separated by means of the following key: 
Fem.\les. 
Mandibles black at base', rufous or rufeseent at apices, size larger, over (1 mm. . 1. 
Mandibles mainly red or yellowish-red, the apices darker, size smaller, less than 
G mm. ............. 2. 
1. .\bdomen wholly red, or segment 5 black, 9-10 mm. . . i/ /(rows Sm. and 
laiiiii.t, ju'rnimilis, obficitran.i n. spp. 
.\bdomen with segments 4-5 black, GJ— 8 mm. . . . profiphoni.s' n. sp. 
2. Enclosure of metathora.v reticulated, smaller . . mandihiilaris-. 
Enclosure with parallel rugae, larger ...... leri.s- n. sp. 
M.vles. 
Wholly black, joint 4 = 2 -h 3 
Black and yellow or red, joint 4 nearly eipials 3, small species 
1. Ijarger, 8-9 mm. ....... 
Smaller, G mm. ....... 
2. Wings milky white ...... 
Wings dusky ........ 
3. Enclosure reticulated, mandibles 
reddish-yellow, with 
dick rolls 
prasplwnis n. sp 
nephelotiis n. s]> 
. 3 
darker red ajie.x 
mandihidaris 
. Icvis n. sj) 
Enclosure with parallel rugae, mandibles dark with red a|)ex . 
There occur at Waldoboro a small group of bees consisting of 8. dichroits and 
a number of closely allied varieties or s])eeies, three of which have been named and 
described in this paper. The precise status of the.se bees must for the present remain 
uncertain, as owing to their rarity only one or a few specimens of each kind have 
been collected; and also beeau.se all of the males obtained belong to a single species. 
Care is nece.ssary lest the table of differential characters prove misleading, since 
mention of like characters is largely omitted; and unlike characters, which often 
