80 AMMOPHILA. 



Genus 1. AMMOPHILA. 



Sphex, pt., Linn. Faun. Suec. 411 (1761). 

 Pompilus, pt., Fair. Ent. Syst. Supp. 246 (1798). 

 Ammophila, Kirby, Trans. Linn. Soc. iv. 195 (1798). 

 Pepsis, pt,, Fabr. Syst. Piez. 207 (1804). 

 Psammophila, Dahlb. Hym. Europ. i. 10 (1843). 



Head suborbiculate, wider than the thorax ; the maxillae and 

 labium longer than the head, reflexed in the middle ; eyes large, 

 oval, and distant ; the stemmata placed in a triangle on'the ver- 

 tex; antennae filiform, arcuate in the female, inserted in the 

 middle of the face ; mandibles long, slender, tridentate, with 

 the apical tooth acute, forcipate when closed. Thorax ovate ; the 

 anterior wings with one marginal and three submarginal cells; the 

 marginal cell elongate-ovate; the first submarginal longer than 

 the two following , the second receiving the two recurrent nervures, 

 the third small, and much narrowed towards the marginal ; legs 

 long and spinose, the anterior tarsi strongly ciliated ; the claws 

 bifid. The abdomen petiolated, usually clavate. 



This genus is one of considerable extent, although only three 

 species inhabit Britain ; its geographical range is extensive, being 

 not only found in the four quarters of the globe, but in latitudes 

 extending from the frigid to the torrid zones. The habits of the 

 British species are well known. A. sabulosa I have frequently 

 observed conveying caterpillars to its burrow, for the food of its 

 larva ; having formed the burrow, and a chamber at its extremity, 

 the female conveys a caterpillar into the cell, upon which she 

 deposits and affixes an egg; subsequently she stores up three 

 or four additional ones, and her task is completed ; each time 

 that she deposits a caterpillar, she carefully stops up the entrance 

 with a few pebbles : she does not wait until each caterpillar is 

 devoured before supplying another ; if uninterrupted by weather 

 or other circumstances, the whole are stored up in a few hours, 

 and she then proceeds to construct a fresh burrow. Shuckard 

 says, "I have never observed these insects convey caterpillars." 

 Having, as above stated, observed A. sabulosa with her prey, I 

 may here add, that I have seen this insect with its prey probably 

 fifty times, and always with a caterpillar. A. viatica appears as 

 invariably to prey upon spiders; I have never seen it with a 

 caterpillar. 



