374 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



TlPHIID^. 



The first family of the Solitary Wasps, with both males 

 and females winged. The life histories of our two British 

 species of TipJiia do not appear to be worked out. The 

 females of T . minuta have been found under cow-dung, 

 and possibly prey upon Aphodii. Neither of the species 

 have yet been recorded from our district. 



Sapygid^e. 



Another family of Solitary Wasps. The female usually 

 forms cells for her eggs in a burrow previously excavated 

 by some other insect (e.g., a Colletes, Chelostoma, or 

 Osmia), in the ground or in wood ; she sometimes makes 

 use of a deserted snail shell. As food for her offspring 

 she stores up the larvae of Lepidoptera. 

 Sapyga, Latr. 

 S. b-punctata, Fab. — Rainhill, H.H.H. ; Upton, near 

 Chester, at burrows in old barn wall, E.C.T. 



POMPILLTLE. 



The agile members of this large family of Sandwasps 

 often burrow in sandhills by the seaside (Pompilus rufipes, 

 plumbeus, niger, and gibbus), in rubble walls (A. 

 variegata) or in wood. Nearly all the species prey 

 exclusively upon spiders. P. niger, however, is said to 

 sometimes store up the larvse of Lepidoptera. 

 Pompilus, Fab. 

 P. rufipes, Linn. — Southport sandhills, B.C. 

 P. plumbeus, Fab. — pulcher, Shuck. — Wallasey sand- 

 hills, exceedingly abundant some years ; South- 

 port sandhills, B.C. 

 P. niger, Fab. — approximatus, Sm., melanarius, Bond. — 

 On the coast at Southport, B.C., and inland at 

 Hazlegrove, B.C. 



