344 Trans. Acad. Sci. of St. Louis. 



The importance of the encroachment of red or ferruginous on 

 the black ground color (as distinguished from red ornaments 

 which occupy the place of yellow ornaments in allied species) 

 is almost universally exaggerated. It is a common thins; in 

 Florida insects. 



Epeolus cressonii. 



? Epeolus mercatus Fabricins, Systema Piezatorum, 389, 1804. 



Epeolus mercatus Cresson, Trans. Am. Ent. Soc. VII, 88, 9d^. 1878. 



Common and polymorphous, varying in size and form from 

 that of JS. pusillus to a slender specimen of E. donatus, or 

 a stout example of E. remigatus. The ferruginous color 

 extends to second and third joints of antennae, tubercles and 

 lateral spines of scutellum, or is entirely wanting, except on 

 mandibles, and a tinge on tegulae, tibiae and tarsi ; wings 

 yellowish, with honey yellow nervures, or clear, with nervures 

 black; fasciae 2-4 apical and continuous, or submarginal, 

 more or less, and interrupted; small examples a little more 

 coarsely punctured. Length 5, 8-12 mm; ^, 8-11 mm. 



The true E. mercatus F. is quite as likely to be E. pusillus 

 Cress, or E. compactus Cress, both of which were found by 

 Mr. Fox in New Jersey. They are common in Illinois. 



Epeolus helianthi 5. 



Black, middle of mandibles with a rufous spot, sides of 

 labrura, third joint of antennae and tegulae sometimes dull 

 ferruginous, front legs blackish, their tibiae more or less 

 ferruginous, their tarsi and middle and hind legs, fulvo- 

 ferruginous, spurs black; pubescent marks as in E. donatuSj 

 but more yellowish, the abdominal fasciae 2-4 broader and 

 more even ; pleura with a broad L-shaped mark extending 

 from the tegulae downwards and forwards to the front mar- 

 gin, then backwards horizontally and ending abruptly, not 

 arcuate and pointed as in E. lunaius, etc. ; scutellum subbilo- 

 bate, lateral tooth moderate, wings subhyaline, nervures black- 

 ish ; middle of fifth segment with fuscous pubescence. 

 Length 10 mm. 



Carlinville, Illinois; five 5 specimens. 



Distinguished by the pubescent mark on pleura, the front 

 legs being unusually dark for a red-legged species. 



