250 CHARLES A. BLAKE. 



Sphserophthalma contumax Cresson. 



Female. — Obscure rufous, very densely and somewhat coarsely punctured; head 

 very large, quadrate, broader than the thorax and densely clothed with a silvery 

 ochraceous pubescence ; eyes small, round, entire, convex and polished ; mandi- 

 bles black at tips : antennae entirely ferruginous ; thorax short, subquadrate, 

 broad and truncate in front, strangulated behind the middle, declivious on the 

 sides and behind ; upper surface with a sparse blackibh pubescence ; on the lateral 

 margins and behind with long, scattered, ochraceous pubescence ; the deep lateral 

 posterior excavation large, smooth and polished ; legs pale rufous, thinly clothed 

 with ochraceous pubescence ; abdomen ovate, rather broad at base, the large 

 basal segment clothed above with a very short, appressed, golden sericeous pu- 

 bescence, on the basal third a large, quadrate, pale fuscous, central spot, and 

 another smaller one on each side, all connected at base by a narrow transverse 

 band, the apex with a broad transverse band of the same color ; the remaining 

 segments above and beneath with a dense fringe of long silvery ochraceous or 

 cinereous pubescence ; the node, or small basal segment is shaped like that of 

 8. montivaga, but less broad, its apical margin is pale fuscous. Length 11 mm. 

 (Cresson.) 



Hab. — Colorado. 



This pretty species is easily recognized by the large ochraceous 

 head and the ornamentation of the large basal segment of the ab- 

 domen. It has a close ally in S. connedens Cresson, from Lower 

 California, which differs principally by the second segment of the 

 abdomen having two large fuscous spots, one on the basal middle and 

 the other on the apical middle, both connected by a short, narrow, 

 fuscous line. 



Sphserophthalma gothica Blake. 



Female. — Head and thorax dark ferruginous, densely and finely reticulated, 

 thinly clothed with pale golden pubescence, interspersed with blackish hairs ; 

 head slightly wider than the thorax, quadrate posterior angles rounded, 

 hind margin blackish; antenna : scape and first joint of flagellum 

 ferruginous, mandibles black at tip ; eyes large, round, polished ; tho- 

 rax quadrate, metathorax abruptly truncate, coarsely reticulated, 

 lateral declivities concave, polished ; legs ferruginous, thinly clothed 

 with pale glittering hairs, intermediate and posterior tibiae armed ex- 

 ternally with spines, calcaria pale ; abdomen ovate, basal segment 

 ferruginous, darker towards the apical margin, which is fringed with 

 pale golden pubescence ; second segment pale fulvous, having on the 

 disc an elongate quadrate black patch extending from the apical margin to the 

 base, where it terminates in a point, on each side of which there is an ovate spot 

 of the same color near the anterior margin ; apical segments blackish, clothed 

 with pale golden pubescence ; under side of entire insect ferruginous. Length 

 8.5 mm. 



Hab. — Mexico. Prof. F. Sumichrast. 



