HYMENOPTERA. 231 



have entitled them to the common appellation of Golden JVa<!p^, or 

 Guepes dorees- They are seen walking about in a continued state of 

 agitation, and with hasty motions, on walls and fences exposed to 

 the burning ardour of the sun. They are also found on flowers. 

 Their body is elongated and covered with a firm tegument. Their 

 antennae are filiform, geniculate, vibiatile, and composed of thirteen 

 joints in both sexes. The mandibles are narroAV, arcuated, and 

 pointed. The maxillary palpi are filiform, usually longer than those 

 of the labium, and composed of five unequal joints ; the latter consist 

 of three. The ligula is most frequently emarginated. The thorax 

 is semi-cylindrical, and presents several sutures or impressed and 

 transverse lines. The abdomen of the greater number forms a semi- 

 oval truncated at base, and at the first glance seems suspended to the 

 thorax by its whole width ; the last ring is frequently marked by 

 large punctures and terminates by dentations. 



The Chrysides deposit their ova in tlie nests of the solitary Mason 

 Bees, or in those of other Hymcnoptera. Their larvae devour those 

 of the latter. 



In some the maxillae and labium are very long, forming a false 

 proboscis that is bent underneath, and the very small palpi are biarti- 

 culatcd. 



Parnopes, Lat. 



The P. carnea places its eggs in the nest of the Benibex rostrata, 

 Fab.* 



The others are destitute of this false proboscis ; tlieir maxillary 

 palpi are moderate or elongated, and composed of five joints ; those 

 of the labium have three. 



Sometimes the thorax is not narrowed anteriorly ; the abdomen is 

 semi-oval, concave, and presents externally but three segments, as in 

 Chrysis proper or 



Chrysis, Fab. 



Those, in which the four palpi are equal, and where the ligula is 

 profoundly emarginate, form the genus 



Stilbum, Spinol. 

 To which may be united the Eiichrceus of Latreille f . 

 Those, in which the maxillary palpi are much longer than the 

 labial, the ligula is emarginated, and the abdomen rounded and en- 

 tire at the extremity, have been generically distinguished by the 

 name of 



Hedychrum. 

 Those which, similar to the Hedychra in the relative proportions 

 of the palpi, have a rounded and entire ligula, from two genera. In 

 the first or 



Elampus, Spin., 

 The mandibles have two teeth on the inner side ; the abdomen is 



* Lat. Gen. Crust, et Insect., IV, p. 47, and the Ann. du Mus. d'Hist. Nat. 

 f Messrs. Lepeletier and Servillc, Encyc. M(?thod., have given the generic appel- 

 lation of Pyria to certain Insects closely allied, according to them, to Stilbum, but 



