records of Ikes. ;UU 



Mc/issodes (jrandisslma, Ckll. 



A malt' from Fedor, Texas {Hirkinann), is referred to this 

 spceies. It runs in my t.il)les to M. coniunclw, but did'ers in 

 liavinj^ the liair of h, j, mainly l)lack or blackish (clear ferrn- 

 {linous iti Comanche), while that of basal joint of mid<lh; 

 tarsus is a sort of pale purplish f^rey ; lateral patches of 

 abdomen better developed ; face a little narrower ; eyes li^iht 

 yellowish j^rcen ; third joint of antenna? shorter ; last joint 

 black above and dull reddish below (entirely light red in 

 Comanche). 



Melissodes Baileiji, s[). n. 



9 . — Len|?th about 11^ mm. 



Hair of head and thorax white; sonu; black on vertex and 

 a larf;e blaek patch on dorsum of thorax, not, however, 

 nearly reaching the tegulffi; eyes silver-grey; flagelliim, 

 except at base, dull ferruginous beneath; tegulae piceous, 

 with light hair ; just behind tegnlte, at base of wing, is a tuft 

 of pale golden hair. AVings rather short, hyaline; stigma 

 and nervures fuscous ; second sul)marginal cell very small, 

 ol)b(|ue, higher than broad, receiving tin; first r. n. about the 

 middle. Legs black, with pale hair, that on basal joints of 

 tarsi within orange, that at apex of middle tibite without 

 dense and dark fuscous ; scopa of hind tibise ])ale fulvous, 

 coarse and not plumose. Abdomen with conspicuous silver- 

 grey hair-bands, one at base of second segment and very 

 broad, even, and entire, apical ones on segments 2 to 4 ; no 

 sign of a mcdiin band on 2 ; 5 and G with bhick hair, white 

 liairs ])rojecting only at extreme side; hair of labrum 

 yellowish, contrasting with the greyish white of face. 



In my tables this runs to M. spheeralcece, except that the 

 hair on outer side of hind tibiie and tarsi is light yellowish. 

 It is not unlike sphtcralcea:, but differs by the less shining 

 aljdouKii, the duller surface of which is much less distinctly 

 punctured, while the hind margins of the segments are 

 scarcely pallid, except the first, and that narrowly. The 

 middle of the mesothorax also has the punctures closer and 

 more regular, and the second submarginal cell is quite 

 dillrrently formed. From M. fuiibriata, Cress., it is easily 

 kncnvn by the wings not fuscous on apical margin ; third 

 s.m. very large, not narrowed one-half to marginal ; abdo- 

 minal bands In'oad, &e. \\\ Robertson's table it runs to 

 M. vernonice, Rob., but it is easily known from that by the 

 colour of hair on hind taisi and the ornamentation of second 

 abdominal segment. 



