694 CONNECTICUT GEOL. AND NAT. HIST. SURVEY. [Bull. 



This species is rather common locally. It has been taken at 

 New Haven and Salisbury in July and August. 



Bembex Fabricius. 



B. spinolae LePeletier. PI. x, Fig. 4; Howard, Insect Book, 

 PI. i, Fig. 24. 



Length about 16 mm. Labrum not depressed basally ; in the 

 male the intermediate tarsi are longer than their tibiae, and the 

 seventh ventral segment is normal. Black; clypeus, spot above, 

 labrum, mandibles (except piceous apices), scape in front, spot 

 on inner orbits, line on pronotum, tubercules, tegulse, and legs 

 below the middle of the femora, yellow; bands on the dorsal 

 abdominal segments (slightly interrupted in the middle of the first 

 segment, and wavy on the following segments) greenish-white; 

 wings clear hyaline, venation pale brown. For an interesting 

 account of the habits of this species see Chapter vi of Peckham's 

 " Solitary Wasps." 



New Haven (W. E. B., B. H. W.) ; Plainfield, 14 August, 

 1905 (B. H. W.) ; Poquonock, 27 June, 1903 (H. L. V.). 



CERCERID^. 



The species belonging to this family have usually been placed 

 with the Philanthinse. Dr. Ashmead separated them as a 

 distinct subfamily, but left them close to Philanthus. The 

 absence of the prepectus in Cerceris easily separates it from 

 Philanthus or any of the Philanthinse. In the thorax, especially 

 the mesothorax, Cerceris recalls bees of the genus Nomada. 



The wasps belonging to the genus Cerceris make solitary nests 

 in the ground which they provision with beetles. Some of the 

 American species are known to prey on injurious weevils and are 

 therefore beneficial. According to the Peckhams, the species of 

 Cerceris are very shy, and difficult to study. For an interesting 

 account of the habits of three of our species the reader is referred 

 to Chapter xi, " Some Grave Diggers," of Peckham's " The 

 Solitary Wasps." 



Mr. Nathan Banks has recently tabulated the species of the 

 eastern United States and described a number of new ones. The 

 following table is adapted from the one given by Mr. Banks. 



