REVISION OF LEUCOSPIDAE 99 



Leucospis ignota Walker 

 (Text-figs 115-117) 



Leucospis ignota Walker, i860 : 22, <J. LECTOTYPE <J (here designated), [Colombia] (BMNH) 



[examined]. 

 Leucospis tolteca Cresson, 1872 : 34, 9 <$. LECTOTYPE § (here designated), Mexico (ANS, 



Philadelphia) [examined]. Syn. n. 

 Leucospis cupreo-viridis Westwood, 1874 : 135, pi. 25, fig. 5, $. LECTOTYPE 9- (here 



designated), Colombia: Santa Martha (UM, Oxford) [examined]. Syn. n. 



When describing L. ignota, Walker did not mention any locality, but already 

 Schletterer (1890 : 289) pointed out that the species must be American. I found 

 in the old register of the British Museum (Natural History) that Walker's specimens 

 were purchased in 1858 with a lot coming from different parts of the world, but 

 among these only from 'New Grenada' (= Colombia) in the New World. 

 Subsequently I recognized the syntypes of L. ignota as belonging to the same 

 species as L. cupreoviridis Westwood which also comes from Colombia. 



L. tolteca was described from several specimens and as Weld's statement about 

 the 'type' (1922 : 15) applies to the whole lot, I designate the only female which 

 was sent to me for examination from the original material (Cat. No. 1801) from 

 Philadelphia as lectotype. As I presumed from specimens identified as tolteca 

 by Weld, Gahan and Burks, it is the same as ignota. 



The antennal scapus of the male is curved, with anterior side conspicuously 

 concave. 



Biology. Host unknown, but some specimens were collected at 'adobe' (mud) 

 walls, presumably at the nesting sites of host bees. 



Distribution. Mexico, Honduras, Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad, Guayana, 

 Brazil, Peru, Argentina. 



Material examined. 



Type data given in synonymy. 



Mexico: no locality, vi. 1863, 2 $ (Sumichrast) (MNHN, Paris); Nayarit, nr 

 San Bias, ii.1964, 2 °- (Irwin & Schlinger) (UC, Riverside); San Luis Potosi, El 

 Salto, 600 m, vi. 1961 (Univ. Kansas Mex. Exp.) (SM, Lawrence) ; Puebla, Petlalcingo, 

 xi. 1963, 1 $ (Michelbacher) (CIS, Berkeley); Guerrero, Tierra Colorada, 700 m, 

 1 <J {H. H. Smith) (BMNH); Tabasco, Teapa, 1 $ (Smith) (BMNH); N. Yucatan, 

 Temax, 1 $, 5 <J (Gaunter) (NM, Vienna; BMNH). Honduras: data illegible, on 

 adobe wall, 1 $, 1 <J (Cockerell) (BMNH); San Pedero Sula, 1 <J (MCSN, Genoa); 

 Zamorano, xi. 1946, 2 $, 5 $ (Cockerell) (USNM). Colombia: no data, 1 $, 

 paralectotype of ignota (BMNH), 2 $ (UZM, Copenhagen); Rio Frio, xii. 1923, 1 $ 

 (Gowdey) (BMNH); Dept. Boyaca, Muzo, vi. 1936, 4 $, 3 (J (Bequaert) (MCZ, 

 Cambridge; BMNH). Venezuela: Aroa, xii. 1910, 2 $, 2 <$ (Carriker) (USNM); 

 Mundo Nuevo, foothills N. of Irapa, Sucre, xii. 1944, 1 $, 2 <$ (Donald) (BMNH); 

 Maracay, Aragua, 1 $; San Esteban, Fal., xii. 1939, 1 $, 2 <$ (Anduze) (CU, Ithaca; 

 Townes); Barinas and Barinilas, 3 $ (Anduze) (MCZ, Cambridge). Trinidad: 

 Preysal, on Borreria verticillata, i. 1945, 1 <J (Callan) (BMNH). Guyana: Kartabe, 



