EUMENES COARCTATA. 197 



Fam. 1. EumenidsB, Westw. 



(SOLITARY WASPS.) 

 Genus 1. EUMENES. 



Vespa, pt., Linn. Faun. Suec. 415 (1761). 

 Sphex, pt., Christ. Hym. 315 (1791). 

 Eumenes, Latr. Hist. Nat. Ins. (1802). 



Head subtriangular, not quite so wide as the thorax; the 

 mentum about half the length of the labium, the latter deeply 

 incised at the apex, forming two distinct appendages, each 

 having a gland at its apex ; the paraglossae a little shorter than 

 the tongue, straight, and glandular at their apex ; the labial 

 palpi 4-jointed, the two basal joints elongate, the third shorter, 

 and the apical joint half the length of the third joint ; the 

 maxillary palpi 6-jointed, the basal joint longest, the following 

 joints each shorter than the preceding ; the clypeus produced, 

 and notched at the apex ; the mandibles narrow and elongate, 

 straight, and forming as it were a beak, their inner margin 

 notched towards the apex ; the antennae clavate, the apical joint 

 hooked in the males. The wings ample, the anterior pair with 

 one marginal and three submarginal cells, the second receiving 

 both the recurrent nervures. Abdomen pyriform, the basal seg- 

 ment narrowed into a petiole at its base. 



Of this genus we have only one representative in Britain, the 

 Vespa coarctata of Linnaeus. This wasp constructs small glo- 

 bular cells of mud, which it attaches to twigs of shrubs, particu- 

 larly those of the common Heath ; each nest or cell is provisioned 

 with the larvae of small Lepidoptera, and contains a single larva 

 of the wasp. I have more than once reared the Eumenes from 

 such nests, but on one occasion I found a parasite belonging to 

 the genus Cryptus. The Vespidce are subject to the attacks of 

 various parasites, belonging to the families Ichneumonidce, Chry- 

 sididce, Syrphidce, and Staphylinidce. 



1. Eumenes coarctata. 



E. nigra, flavo-variegata ; prothoracis margine antico, tibiis tar- 

 sisque flavis ; abdominis segmentis flavo-marginatis, segmento 

 secundo punctis duobus flavis. 



