126 INSECTA. 
SpHex, Lin. 
Most females of this genus place beside their eggs, in the nests 
they have constructed, most commonly in the earth or in wood, 
various Insects or their larve, and sometimes Arachnides, pre- 
viously pierced with their sting, to serve as food for their young. 
The larvez are always destitute of feet, resemble little worms, and 
undergo a metamorphosis in the cocoon they have spun previous 
to becoming nymphs. The perfect Insect is usually very active and 
lives on flowers. The maxillz and lip are elongated and in the form 
of a proboscis in many. 
We will distribute the numerous subgenera derived from the pri- 
mitive genus Sphex into seven principal sections. 
In the two first the eyes are frequently emarginated; the body of 
the males is usually narrow, elongated, and terminated posteriorly, 
in a great many, by three points in the form of spines or dentations. 
1. Those, in which the first segment of the thorax is sometimes in 
the form of a bow, and prolonged laterally to the wings, and some- 
times forms a transversal square, or resembles a knot or joints in 
which the legs are short, thick, very spinous or densely ciliated, 
with the thighs arcuated near the knee; and in which the antennz 
of the females are evidently shorter than the head and thorax. 
These are the Scotrer of Latreille, so named from the genus 
Scoria(1). 
In some the maxillary palpi are long, and evidently composed of 
(1) The Scoliete may be divided thus: 
I. Palpi always very short. Ligula with three linear divisions. Anus of the 
male terminated by three spines. The thick or callous point of the supe- 
rior wings replaced by a small cell. 
Scoxra proper. 
Il, The maxillary palpi elongated in several. The ligula broad, and widened 
at the extremity. A recurved spine at the anus of the males. A thick dis- 
tinct point in the superior wings. 
A. Second joint of the antenne exposed. Two complete cubital cells, or 
three, but of which the intermediate is small and petiolate. 
a. No incomplete cubital cell closed by the posterior border of the 
wing. Radial cell null or open in the females. 
Tipata. Menta. 
