62 Z. BOUCEK 



(BMNH); Chiapas, Pico de Soconusco, 3. viii., 1$ {Pur pus) (MNHU, Berlin); 

 13-16 mis N.W. of Comitan, 3.111.1953 & 3.viii.ic;52, 1 $, 3 <J {Bechtel & Schlinger, 

 Gilbert & MacNeil) (CIS, Berkeley; BMNH)); Pan-Amer. Hway, Rio de la Venta, 

 6.viii. 1956, 1 $ (J. W. MacSwain) (CIS, Berkeley). Guatemala: Antigua, 23.vi.1923 

 (E. G.Smyth) (USNM). Costa Rica: San Jose, 6 $, 1 $ (DEI, Eberswalde; EI, 

 Zurich; TM, Budapest; ZS, Munich); Turrialba, 700 m, 4$, 2^ (DEI, Eberswalde; 

 MCSN, Genoa; USNM); San Pedro de Montes de Oca, 2.V.1932 {Ballou) (BMNH). 

 Colombia: Dept. Boyaca, Muzo, 900 m, vii.1936, 1 °- {J. Bequaert) (MCZ, 

 Cambridge). Bolivia: Coroico, 1$ (BMNH). 



Leucospis azteca Cresson 

 (Text-fig. 57) 



Leucospis azteca Cresson, 1872 : 33-34, $. LECTOTYPE $ (here designated), Mexico (ANS, 

 Philadelphia) [examined] . 



I designate as lectotype the only syntype I could examine (no. 1799. 1), although 

 Weld (1922 : 27) mentioned 'Type. — Cat. No. 1799 and two paratypes', but 

 apparently did not label or otherwise specify that she meant a certain specimen 

 out of the three syntypes as lectotype. 



L. azteca seems to be a good species but I have not seen any other specimen 

 except for the lectotype. It is certainly close to L. affinis Say and still closer to 

 L. latifrons Schletterer. From L. affinis it differs by the relatively slenderer 

 and longer antennae (in female flagellum plus pedicellus 1.19 times as long as 

 breadth of head); the yellow colour of pronotum reduced to a narrow cross-line 

 on the premarginal carina, although the sides of the mesoscutum are also yellow- 

 bordered and the epipygium is extensively yellow, i.e. there is no apparent reduction 

 of the yellow markings otherwise; the first tergite has a median smooth crest 

 delimited on sides by a flat depression, much as in L. latifrons Schletterer; hind 

 femur externally fairly densely punctured, much more densely than in any of the 

 several hundreds of L. affinis I have examined. L. azteca differs from L. latifrons 

 in lacking the long and unusually arranged pilosity of the hind coxa, but otherwise 

 the two are very similar and latifrons has been frequently misidentified as azteca 

 by many authors, including Schletterer. The puncturation, particularly of the 

 depression of the hind coxa, is fairly dense and regular, much as in I. affinis 

 dubiosa Cresson. At first I thought that the two may be conspecific, yet the first 

 tergite in the female of dubiosa is much like that in L. affinis, i.e. with the median 

 double ovipositorial furrow which is well delimited on its sides. 



Biology. Not known. 



Distribution. Mexico. 



