Ti^^^isrs.A.OTio3srs 



OF THE 



AMERICAN ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



VOLUME II. 



CATALOGUE OF A COLLECTION OF HYMENOPTERA 



made by Prof. F. Sumichrast near Cordova, Mexico. 



BY E. T. CRESSON. 

 Part I. 



The species comprised in this catalogue were collected at the Haci- 

 enda del Potrero, near Cordova, Mexico, and presented to the Am- 

 erican Entomological Society by Prof. F. Sumichrast, of Orizaba, — 

 a most excellent and zealous collector, not only of entomological spe- 

 cimens, but of all branches of Zoology. By his indeftitigable labors, 

 large and beautifully preserved collections of Hymenoptera have been 

 made in the environs of Orizaba and Cordova, and the prospects are 

 that the handsome and extremely interesting fauna of that part of 

 IVJcxico, will soon be thoroughly worked up. 



As yet, very little has been done by European authors in making 

 known to science the Hymenoptera, from America, forming the section 

 Terebrantia — probably the most numerous of the two sections in the 

 number of genera and species, and comprising insects of brilliant colors, 

 of beautiful ornamentation, and of very curious and anomalous forms. 

 The Aculeata seem to receive, I may as well say, all the attention, and 

 the Terebrantia comparatively none. It is true that the families of the 

 last named section are, in general, more difficult to study, especially 

 the subsection Entomophaga, by reason of the small size and the ex- 

 treme variability of form and coloration ; but this is no good cause for 

 discouragement. However difficult and perplexing the study may be, 

 an attempt to work up the genera and species must be made, no matter 

 how imperfectly done. There are no great risks to run in creating 

 synonyms — apart from those unavoidably made where the sexes are so 

 very dissimilar in coloration — because so little has been done. 



I am well aware that what little I have achieved, towards working up 

 the Ichneumonida; of this country, is very imperfect^ and will have to 



THANS. AMKR. KNT. SOC. ( 1 ) MAY, 1868. 



