580 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol.40. 



Lee County, Texas. Collected in May, 1907, by Rev. G. Birk- 

 mann. 



Type.— Cat. No. 13761 U.S.N.M. 



This species, which is named in honor of Dr. W. M. Wheeled, 

 belongs to the group composed of tarsatus (Say), semirufus (Cresson), 

 punctulatus H. S. Smith, Jiitei Rohwer, and antennatus Fox. The 

 members of this group have the abdomen clear red, the space be- 

 tween the eyes at the vertex about the same as the length of the 

 second and third antennal joints; and the pygidial area rather poorly 

 defined. The females may be separated as follows: 



"Flagellum long, not setaceous, sparsely acuminate apically" (Fox); clypeus with 

 one lateral tooth (pygidium two and one-half times as long as broad at base). 

 Texas antennatus Fox. 



Flagellum normal, acuminate apically 1. 



1. Pygidium not twice as long as broad at base, broad, poorly denned (clypeus with 



two lateral teeth). Colorado hitei Rohwer. 



Pygidium twice or more than twice as long as broad at base 2. 



2. Mesonotum very closely punctured, the punctures not becoming sparser pos- 



teriorly; scutellum similar (clypeus with two lateral teeth). Eastern United 



States tarsatus (Say). 



Mesonotum more sparsely punctured, especially posteriorly; scutellum shining, 

 usually more sparsely punctured than the dorsulum 3. 



3. Clypeus with two lateral teeth; leg spines pallid wheeleri Rohwer. 



Clypeus with one lateral tooth; leg spines black or piceous 4. 



' 4. Clypeus with large, widely scattered punctures punctulatus H. S. Smith. 



Clypeus granular; front granular semirufus (Cresson). 



What may be the male of wheeleri may be described as follows: 

 Length 4 mm. Slender; clypeus rounded on the anterior margin, 

 without lateral teeth; front very finely granular, vertex punctured; 

 space between the eyes at the vertex about the same as the length 

 of antennal joints three and four; third antennal joint a little shorter 

 than the fourth; mesonotum and scutellum shining, sparsely punc- 

 tured; scutellum rather strongly convex, not impressed; dorsal 

 aspect of propodeum granular, sides and posterior face finely trans- 

 versely striated; legs almost spineless, the spines small and white; 

 radial cell obliquely truncate; second and third cubital cells about 

 equal on the radius; abdomen shining, almost impunctate; eight 

 ventral plate rather deeply circularly emarginate, lobes rather 

 broad. Black; palpi, tegula?, and apex of the tarsi brownish; two 

 basal segments of abdomen red; front and clypeus with silvery 

 pubescence. Wings hyaline, iridescent; venation brown. 



The male was collected by Rev. G. Birkmann hi Lee County, 

 Texas, August 8, 1905. 



