90 Myron Harmon Szuenk 



sens, str., but may be distinguished from asteris at a glance by 

 the lack of the creamy ornaments on the mesoscutellum, 

 metanotum, sides of collar and abdominal tergites 2-4, and the 

 characteristic pubescence on the sides of the propodeum which is 

 wholly lacking in asteris. 



Subgenus Gnathias Robertson, 1003 



KEY TO THE NEBRASKA SPECIES 



Females 



Abdomen light red, entirely without spots ; head and thorax light red, the 

 clypeus and lower anterior orbits suffused with yellowish ; areas 

 above insertion of antennae, about ocelli, on cheeks behind, 

 propleura, metapleura, posterior face of last four coxae, and 

 median line on mesoscutum and propodeum, sharply contrasting 



black ; 9 mm siouxensis 



Abdomen with yellow lateral spots, at least on tergite 2 ; clypeus and an- 

 terior orbits less suffused with yellowish i 



I. Size largest, 8-11 mm., usually about 10 mm. long; very dark red, 

 the abdomen always with distinct yellow spots on the sides of 

 tergite 2, rarely also on sides of i, usually with additional spots 

 on sides of 5, and frequently with more or less distinct yellow 

 lines on bases of 3 and 4 bella 



I. Size medium, 7-10 mm., usually about 8 mm. long; dark red, 

 typically with conspicuous lateral yellow spots on tergites 2-5, 

 sometimes on i also, those on 4 or 5 or on both frequently lack- 

 ing, and infrequently those on 3 lacking also lepida 



I. Size smallest, 5.5-8 rrjm., usually about 7 mm. long; paler red 

 tergite 2 always with distinct lateral spots, usually large and sub- 

 pyriform but sometimes quite small and oval or round, tergite 

 3 usually immaculate but sometimes with small, usually indis- 

 tinct lateral spots, following tergites always unspotted. 



carolinae 

 (The female of albofasciata is unknown or unrecognized.) 



Males 



Abdominal bands and marks on face creamy white; scape black in front; 

 mesoscutellum and metanotum black; 6.5-7 iiim. 



albofasciata 



Abdominal bands or spots and marks on face yellow ; scape red or yellow 

 in front ; mesoscutellum and metanotum usually red or spotted 

 with red or yellow i 



90 



