278 AMERICAN HYMENOPTERA. 



space distinctly broader than its average length ; clypeus moderately 

 and irregularly punctate, densely punctate at its lower corners. Third 

 antennal segment longer than the fifth ; fifth distinctly longer than 

 fourth. 



Thorax. — Dorsum of thorax, except a noticeable bare area on the 

 disc, densely covered with yellow pile. Pile immediately surrounding 

 bare area of disc usually with a slight admixture of black hairs, very 

 rarely enough to make an indistinct black interalar band. Mesopleura 

 well covered with yellow pile, without admixture of black hairs, to or 

 very nearly to the bases of the legs. Upper plate of metapleuron usu- 

 ally bearing yellow pile on its front portion and black pile on its hind 

 portion, sometimes with only dark pile and sometimes with very little ; 

 lower plate of metapleuron scantily clothed with dark hairs. Sides of 

 median segment bearing dark brown or black pile ; middle portion 

 destitute of long pile, but bearing very short, fine, light colored 

 pubescence. 



Abdomen. — Dorsum of first segment bearing yellow pile for most 

 part, its anterior corners with distinct, but rather inconspicuous, tufts 

 of black hair, the anterior border of yellow pile with a few black hairs 

 intermixed, middle portion of posterior margin of segment naked and 

 shining ; second segment entirely covered with yellow pile, the poste- 

 rior margin of the yellow being broadly and gracefully notched ; third, 

 fourth and fifth segments entirely covered with black pile ; sixth seg- 

 ment mostly black, but slightly rusty at tip. Venter rather scantily 

 clothed with dark pile, without admixture of yellow; tip of apical seg- 

 ment somewhat rust colored. Hypopygium without median carina. 



Wings. — Rather strongly stained with brown ; the fore wings darker 

 in region running back from the apical margin, to and including the 

 fourth cubital and the apical cells, than on more basal portion ; a small 

 dark spot present near the sinus at the end of the frenal fold ; radial 

 cell with a narrow dark streak bordering the costal vein to its tip, 

 where it unites with a similarly colored streak bordering the radial vein 

 for a short distance. 



Legs. — All the trochanters and femora bearing dark hair, with light 

 hairs intermixed only very rarely ; fore and middle tibiae black, with 

 black pile and with tips rust-colored or ferruginous on the outer side ; 

 hairs fringing bare outer surfaces of hind tibis (corbicular fringes) 

 long and black ; posterior metatarsi broad and bearing short spines 

 and pubescence, the hairs at base on posterior side somewhat longer. 



Worker. — Much like the queen in most respects, the following ex- 

 ceptions being noticeable : dorsum of thorax usually, though not 

 always, with a distinct but somewhat indefinite band of black pile 

 between the bases of the wings, there being always a more or less 

 strong admixture of yellow hairs with the black ; first dorsal abdomi- 

 nal segment with the tufts of black hairs at anterior corners smaller 

 and less noticeable than in the queen, sometimes almost absent 



