1941] 
A New Stizus from Utah 
177 
1875. Larva brendeli Taschenberg, Zeitschr. f. d. Ges. 
Naturwiss. 45: 361. $. 
1879. Megastizus brevipennis Patton, Bull. U. S. Geol. 
Survey Terr. 5: 345. 8, $. 
1887. Megastizus brevipennis Cresson (pars), Synopsis: 
278. 
1892. Stizus brevipennis Handlirsch, Sitz. Akad. Wiss. 
Wien, Math.-nat. CL, 101 (1) : 174, pi. 1, fig. 13, 
pi. 2, fig. 28, pi. 3, fig. 15. 8,9. 
1895. Stizus brevipennis Fox, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila- 
delphia 1895: 266-268. 8, 2. 
1941. Megastizus brevipennis Snodgrass, Smiths. Misc. 
Coll. 99 (14) : pi. 19, figs. A-G. 8 . 
The only published information relative to the prey of 
the North American species of Stizus is a brief note by F. X. 
Williams (1913, Kansas Univ. Sci. Bull. 8 (4) : 198) to the 
effect that brevipennis “hunts in a manner quite similar to 
[ Tachytes ] mandibuiaris , examining the stems of Helian- 
thus, etc., as she flies and finally finds her prey, a large 
Xiphidium.” Dr. Williams has informed the author {in 
litt.) that the grasshopper in question is “a large short- 
winged adult 2 of Xiphidium, now known as Conocephalus. 
It has a long, rather straight, ovipositor.” In the selection 
of Orthoptera as prey, brevipennis agrees with the Old 
World species of Stizus, which, with two doubtful exceptions, 
have thus far been reported to capture either grasshoppers 
or mantids. 
The male of brevipennis is very distinct from that of 
texanus. Besides the characters given in the accompany- 
ing key, the genitalia are entirely different. The females 
of these species are less readily distinguished, and as the 
pygidial character given by W. J. Fox does not appear to 
be valid, the present author has substituted another char- 
acter of the sixth tergite which is quite satisfactory. 
In the following list of specimens examined by the author, 
the record for Indian Head, Maryland, is by far the most 
surprising. It would certainly appear to be in error were 
it not for the occurrence of the species in central Florida. 
Florida: Cape Barrancas; C. Willard; 1 2 [M.C.Z.]. 
