37 



Cleptes Blaisdelli n. sp. 



$ Length about 5.5 mm.; width of thorax about 1.5 mm.; length of 

 wing 4 mm. 



Abdominal segments 1-3 ferruginous; flagellum. mouthparts, anterior 

 trochanters, knees, tibiae, and tarsi ; middle trochanters femora, tibiae, 

 and tarsae, hind trochanters, tibiae, and tarsi, and Sth abdominal 

 tergite nonmetallic, 5th tergite and tarsi more or less piceous, the rest 

 dull black; calcaria testaceous. 



Head, thorax and abdomen in general finely and sparsely punctured. 



Propodeum coarsely and deeply reticulate at its anterior middle, the 

 ridges evanescent posteriorly and laterally, its posterior margin nearly 

 straight and its angles produced not quite even with the middle, denti- 

 form but not strongly so, sides of propodeum smooth and shining, ist tergite 

 smooth and shining; 2nd tergite smooth with fine deep evenly placed 

 punctures, 3rd and following finely rugulose with confluent setigerous 

 punctures. Wings brownish, tegulae metallic with a brown posterior 

 discal spot. 



Described from one $ collected by Dr. F. E. Blaisdell May 

 15, 1884, at Poway, Cal. Type in the author's collection. 



This fine species does not resemble any of the described 

 American species, the red abdomen abundantly distin2:uishin<j,- 

 it. 



Cleptes purpuratus Cresson. 



The account of this species in Aaron's Chrysididae is mis- 

 leading. The abdomen of the female is not at all similar in 

 color to the thorax and in the $ the reflections are feeble. 



2 Head, thorax and legs to the femora metallic green with various 

 cupreous and golden reflections, the propodeum blue green, antennae 

 legs beneath the metallic reflections and the abdomen piceous brown, the 

 tibiae and tarsi more testaceous. 



Head and pronotum rather coarsely and sparsely punctured, tlie sur- 

 face between somewhat uneven, but highly polished and shining ; the 

 surface of mesonotum smooth highly polished and shining with finer 

 sparser punctures, scutellum much the same, the punctures obsolescent, 

 metanotum with the lateral depressed areas or pits dull, blue, propodeum 

 with the superior face irregularly reticulate throughout with two fine 

 converging carinae about one-third the distance from the sides to the 

 middle, its posterior carina well defined nearly straight, the lateral angles 

 dentiform ; mesopleura polished, rather sparsely coarsely punctured, 

 metapleura and sides of propodeum striate. 



Abdomen flattened above, highly polished, particularly the impunctate 

 1st tergite. 2-4 finely, evenly, and closely punctured excepting on the pos- 

 terior margins. The apical segment of the abdomen is indicated by 

 a tube extending from the 4th segment. 



