H Y ME NOP TERA . 



655 



Family MlMESlD^ (Mi-mes'i-dse). 



The Mi7nesids ^Mi-nie' sids). 



The Mimesids are small digger-wasps in which the base 

 of the abdomen is slender, forming a petiole 

 much like that of the Sphecids, but differing in ^ 

 being flattened and usually furrowed above 

 (Fig. 780). These digger-wasps are much 

 smaller than the true thread-waisted wasps. 

 Less than a score of North American species 

 are known. They make their burrows in 

 the pith of brambles, and provision them ^^^' ^^°sid.^ "^'"^^^ 

 with Aphids or Psyllids. 



Family PEMPHREDONID.E (Pem-phre-don'i-dae). 



The Pemphredonids (Pem-phre-do' nids). 



Most of the species of this family are slender insects, of 

 small size and shining black color. They can be distin- 



FiG. 781. — Wings of a Pephredonid. 



guished from the closely-related famihes by the 

 presence of two, and only two, closed submarginal 

 cells (Fig. 781, 2d III + III, and III,). It is a 

 small family, including scarcely a dozen North 

 American species. 

 Fig. 782. jj^^ Pemphredonids usually burrow in the pith 



of dry branches and provision their burrows with plant-lice. 



