118 TRYPOXYLON CLAVICERUM. 



flying in numbers from the burrows up into the hedge, where 

 the spiders were numerous ; backwards and forwards they flew, 

 provisioning their nests with great facility. The cocoons of 

 Trypoxylon may be commonly met with in banks and decayed 

 wood ; the cells are separated from each other by a partition of 

 agglutinated sand. 1 have never observed this insect preying 

 upon Aphides, as recorded in Shuckard's Essay, but always upon 

 spiders : 1 have repeatedly observed the female to alight on 

 spiders' webs, and seizing the spider, carry it off to its cells. 



The T. aurifrons of the Essay proves to be a Brazilian species ; 

 Mr. II. W. Bates has frequently captured it at Ega, on the 

 Amazon, Brazil. 



2. Trypoxylon clavicerum. 

 T. nigrum ; antennis clavatis ; tarsis pedumque antieorum parte 

 antica pallide testaceis. 



Trvpoxylon clavicerum, St. Farg. Encycl. Meth. x. 750. 1 ; llym. 

 iii. 118.3. 



Shuck. Foss. Hym. 118. 3. 

 Curtis, Brit. Hym. xiv. $ . 

 Dahlb. Hym. Euro}), i. 279. 175. 

 Wesm. Hym. Foss. Bely. 107. 2. 



Female. Length 3^ lines. — Black ; minutely and delicately 

 punctured, the face with an impressed line extending from the 

 anterior ocellus to the confluent depression of the face ; the 

 emargination of the eyes much depressed, and also a channel 

 on each side extending from the base of the antennae to the 

 emargination ; the emargination, channel, and face below the 

 antenna covered with fine silvery pile ; the antennae subcla- 

 vate, the apical joint obtuse ; the clypeus slightly produced in 

 the centre, which is emar<jinate ; the mandibles and palpi tes- 

 taceous, the former black at their extreme base. Thorax with 

 a silvery reflecting pile on the sides ; the base of the meta- 

 thorax enclosed, the enclosure divergently striated, and with a 

 central longitudinal impression ; at the apex of the metathorax 

 is a deep longitudinal fossulet ; the tegulae testaceous, the 

 wings beautifullv iridescent, with their apical margins clouded ; 

 the anterior tibiae in front, the knees and all the tarsi piceous. 

 Abdomen shining, with the margins of the first three segments 

 much constructed, with a silvery pubescence at the base and 

 sides. 



The Male is rather smaller, and has the antennae more clavate 

 and obtuse at their apex ; the knees and femora at their apex 

 less coloured. 



