British Hynienoptera. 199 



6. Sphecodes ephippium, Linn. 



Linn., Syst. Nat., ed. xii., p. 944 ; Smith, Cat. Brit. 

 Hym., 2nd ed., p. 20. 



One of the smallest species of the genus, but often 

 confounded with small examples of some of the pre- 

 ceding. 



The (? may be recognised by its antennae, of which the 

 joints are scarcely produced and swollen in front at all, 

 and the 4th joint is scarcely longer than the 5th, and 

 about equal to the 2nd and 3rd together ; also the joints 

 in front have the pubescence extending almost to their 

 apex ; another well-marked character is the widely 

 grooved stipites of the genitalia ; (see pi. viii., fig. 6). 

 The elongate abdomen of this little species is often 

 banded with black on all the segments. 



The ? may be recognised by its shining, finely punc- 

 tured, thorax, the narrow apical dorsal valve of the 

 abdomen, and the piceous tarsi and pale front to the 

 anterior tibiae, and generally by the small black fovea at 

 the base of the 3rd segment of the abdomen on each 

 side. Length 5 — 6 mm. 



Hah. Very common, and generally distributed. 



Halictus, Latr. 



Latr., Hist. Nat., xiii., p. 364. For figures of generic 

 characters see F. Smith, Cat. Brit. Hym., 2nd ed., 

 pi. vi. 



Tongue acute, its sides emarginate ; paraglossae sub- 

 acute ; labial palpi 4-jointed ; maxillary palpi 6-jointed. 

 Wings with three submarginal cells. Antennae in the 

 males long ; the abdomen elongate and cylindrical, 

 except in one or two species ; apical ventral segment not 

 produced as in Andrena. Antennae in the females short ; 

 the abdomen ovate ; 5th segment with a narrow central 

 dorsal rima ; 6th dorsal segment almost hidden. 



The genitalia of the males afford excellent specific 

 characters. 



The head and thorax in nearly all the species of this 

 genus are clothed with longish hairs ; the abdomen 

 is generally banded or spotted at the sides of the seg- 

 ments with white pubescence. The chief specific 



