6o ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [February, 



Ttie Hntornologica.1 Section 



ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES, PHILADELPHIA. 



PROCEEDINGS OF MEETINGS. 



. The following papers were read and accepted by the Committee for 

 publication in Entomological News : 



DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW HYMENOPTERA. 



By T. D. A. CocKERELL, N. M. Agr. Exp. Station. 



Sphaerophthalma prnnotincta n. sp. — $ 14 mm. long; of the general 

 build of suniichrasti, but the thorax somewhat longer and the head de- 

 cidedly smaller. The coloration of the thorax resembles that of sunii- 

 chrasti, but the black triangle has its base about the hind margin (instead 

 of the front margin) of the prothorax. The second segment of the abdo- 

 men differs totally from that oi sumichrasti, being a dull plum-color, with 

 two yellowish spots. Color dark pinkish brown, with black and pale yel- 

 lowish or cream-colored pubescence. Head covered with pale yellowish 

 hairs as in suniichrasti, eyes lashed with long black hairs. Antennae 

 black, scape covered with pale hairs. Dorsum of thorax covered with 

 yellowish hairs, except a large mid-dorsal heart-shaped patch (or, one 

 might say, rounded triangle), with its base as above mentioned, and its 

 apex on the upper part of the metathorax. Abdomen elongate pyriform; 

 first segment broadened and sessile, its suture with the second somewhat 

 constricted. Second segment above strongly reticulate, pinkish brown, 

 with rather sparse, erect hairs, a median patch of appressed black hairs, 

 with a round patch of appressed cream-colored hairs on each side of it, 

 and a fringe of cream-colored hairs bordered above by blackish. The 

 third segment has a similar fringe of creamy-yellow hairs, but its exposed 

 dorsal surface is also covered by such hairs. The remaining segments 

 show the yellowish fringe to the sides, but their dorsal surface is covered 

 by a large black blotch; underside of abdomen with long yellowish hairs. 

 On the second segment the yellowish fringe intrudes mid-dorsally into 

 the blackish area, giving the appearance of a yellowish spot, which forms 

 an equilateral triangle with the two yellowish dorsal spots. Legs pinkish 

 brown, with the joints and the spines black; the large spines at the apex 

 of each tibia are very distinctly serrate on their inner margin, — a character 

 also noticed in suniichrasti, occidentalis, dugesii and orcus; while mega- 

 catitha is of a different type, having the spines of the posterior tibiae very 

 feebly serrate, those of the middle ones not serrate, and those of the 

 anterior ones serrate spiny on both sides. 



The coloration of the abdomen in prunotincia is peculiar. The 

 dark plum-colored tint is wholly due to the dermis, all the hairs 

 being either black or yellowish. The black patch, which in sumi- 



