YESPID^E 



AMERICA 



Family VESPID^l. 



Chaeacters. — Wings folded longitudinally when at rest. 

 Prot borax extended backward as far as the origin of the 

 wings. 



Mouth. Mandibles variable. Lip quadrifld or quadrilobed, 

 sometimes only bifid; labial palpi not having more than 

 four articles; maxillary not more than six articles. 



Antennae elbowed, forming either a lengthened or a sub- 

 filiform club, composed of twelve articles in the females, 

 and thirteen in the males. 



Eyes ernarginate (except Paragio). 



Abdomen sessile (without apparent petiole) or pedicellate, 

 composed of seven segments in the males and of six in the 

 females, and armed with a retractile sting. 



Legs slender, without hairs. 



Wings always presenting two recurrent nervures and 

 three or four cubital cells. Both sexes are always winged. 



The Vespidae are easily recognized by their folded wings (when 

 at rest). It is true, this character is not always very distinct, 

 especially among the MamiHnve and Raphiglossinse, but in this 

 case one identifies them witli certainty: 1st, by their elbowed 

 antennae; 2d, by their prothorax, which, instead of forming a 

 knobbed or transverse collar, offers a distinct upper surface, pro- 

 longed on each side as far as the wing scale's; 1 3d, also by their 



1 As among the Pomp il idee and Pepsidce, from which they arc distin- 

 guished especially by their elbowed antenna', prolonged into clubs, by 

 their folded wings, eto. 



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