116 AMERICAN HYMENOPTERA. 



Thyreodoii laticinctiis Cress. 

 Thyreodoft laticinctus Cresson, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., p. 



376, n. 3, 9, Mexico 1873. 



" principalis F. Smith, Descr. New Spec. Hym., p. 230, 



n. 2, 9 , Costa Rica, C. M 1879. 



" laticinctus Cameron, Biol. Centr. Amer., Hym., I, p. 



289, pi. 12, fig. 14 1886. 



Dalla Torre, Cat. Hym., HI, p. 185 1901. 



pt-incipalis Dalla Torre, Idem, p. 186 1901. 



" laticinctus Szepligeti, Gen. Ins., Hym., 34'ne Fasc, 



p. 25, n. 12 1905. 



" principalis Szepligeti, Idem, p. 25, n. 19 1905. 



" laticinctus Schulz, Spolia Hym., p. 97, n. 185 1906. 



Black ; third and fourth abdominal segments lemon-yellow ; wings 

 with a brilliant purplish reflection. 



Length, 24-33 mm. ; wing, 18-24 mm. ; spread, 38-48 mm. ; antennae, 

 15-20 mm. 



Head, thorax and legs coated with fine black pubescence ; ocelli 

 small, distant from the tops of the eyes, varying in color from flavous 

 or flavous with an outer band of black, to entirely black ; eyes large, 

 slightly emarginate, face deeply punctured. 



Thorax dull black, except the mesopleurae which are polished ; meso- 

 notum slightly shining, parapsidal furrows shallow, broad, opaque, 

 finely reticulate to rugose, ending in two small, sometimes indistinct 

 protuberances at the anterior border ; metathorax clothed with dense, 

 short pubescence, flat or only shallowly excavated behind with a dis- 

 tinct median furrow. 



Wings black with brilliant purplish reflection ; nervulus interstitial ; 

 nervellus broken somewhat above the middle. 



Legs black, sparsely pubescent and shining. 



Abdomen polished, black, except the third and the greater part of 

 the fourth segments which are lemon-yellow ; basal segment slightly 

 dilated at the apex ; genital valves of male abruptly sharply pointed. 



In describing this species I have compared the type and 

 four specimens with the original description. 



Type. — 9 . No. 73, Mexico, American Entomological So- 

 ciety. 



This distinct species may be readily recognized by the 

 lemon-yellow band on the abdomen. There is no reason to 

 doubt that T. principalis Smith is synonymous. T. zonatns 

 Szep. is also closely related, but in that species the abdomi- 

 nal band is ferruginous (gelbroth) not lemon-yellow. This 

 may prove to be a subspecies of laticinctus, for Cameron's 



