THE POMPILID^. 179 



bution. Meria appears confined to Southern Europe 

 and Africa ; whereas Myzine (Plesia Jurine) is found 

 every where excepting in Europe ; and this circum- 

 stance corroborates the assumption that Elis Fab. (^My- 

 zine partly Latr.), cannot possibly be the males; were 

 not this independently proved by our possession of two 

 genuine males of the genus, which, in form, closely re- 

 semble the females, have not the ventral segments con- 

 stricted, nor the anal segment spined ; and they confirm 

 the situation of the genus in this family by the slight 

 sexual differences observable in the neuration of the 

 wings which occur throughout it. Epomediopteron, of 

 which we are acquainted with three species, is limited to 

 the New World, but Tiphia occurs every where except 

 in New Holland. 



(158.) In the family of the PompilidcB, Pompilus is 

 of universal occurrence, an extensive genus, and of di- 

 vergent structure within itself. Pepsis embraces the 

 giants of the group, and, as yet constituted, is found both 

 in the Old and New \Forld; but a small, although evi- 

 dently important, distinction separates them into two di- 

 visions. Thus, in those of the New World, and to which 

 we would retain the name of Pepsis, the first recurrent 

 nervure is inserted at the basal end of the second submar- 

 ginal cell ; whereas in those of the rest of the world, to 

 which we have given the name of Mygnimia, this recur- 

 rent nervure extends to the apex of that cell. AU these 

 insects display great brilliancy in the colouring of their 

 wings ; and, in a collection of them, rich blue, deep violet, 

 purple, green, fiery red, and black, with a limpid apex, 

 vie with each other in beauty and variety ; and these are 

 again contrasted with party colours, and wings elegantly 

 spotted with silvery white. The size and strength of these 

 insects are adapted for competition with the ferocity or 

 size of their prey, which consists either of the large inter- 

 tropical spiders, or of the monstrous caterpillars of the 

 larger Lepidoptera. Other interesting forms occur in 

 the family, such as Saliiis, with its largely developed 

 pro thorax ; Planiceps, with its flattened head and rap- 



