1976] 
Callan — Gory tine Wasps in Trinidad 
333 
with relatively newly emerged wasps. This widespread species 
is not found in Trinidad, but its congener B. bilineolata Spinola 
occurs commonly there. Vesey-FitzGerald (1939) reported that 
in Trinidad “an undetermined species of Gorytes which is of rare 
occurrence bears a very close resemblance to” a wasp which is 
now known as Stelopolybia paUipes (Olivier). This aggressive 
polybiine is essentially a forest species and is common in Trinidad. 
There is little doubt that Vesey-FitzGerald’s “undetermined 
Gorytes ” is the species represented by 2 specimens bearing his 
name in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, identified by 
Professor Bohart as H. vespoides. 
Most Gorytini prey on an array of species belonging to a single 
homopterous family. Hoplisoides iridipennis is typical of its 
genus in taking several species of Membracidae, but H. umboni- 
cida and H. vespoides exhibit a degree of specificity in that they 
prey, so far as known, only on one species Umbonia spinosa. 
Sagenista brasiliensis preys on 6 homopterous families including 
Membracidae, and in this respect parallels the genus Och/eroptera, 
which is known to prey on 5 families. This provides ethological 
support for Bohart’s separation on morphological grounds of 
the genus Sagenista from Hoplisoides. 
Multicellular mass-provisioned nests are characteristic of 
Gorytini. Unfortunately the nests of only 3 species were exca- 
vated. In H. umbonieida the burrow was about 10 cm long and 
4 cells were found. Because of the large size of the prey, proba- 
bly only 3 or 4 individuals are stored in each cell. In H. iridipen- 
nis the burrow was about 8 cm long and a single cell was found 
containing 3 prey. It is unlikely that this species makes unicel- 
lular nests; either this was the first cell of a series and others would 
be added later, or other cells were present and were not found. 
The 2 nests of S. brasiliensis that were dug out were compara- 
tively shallow, one being only about 6 cm long. They had 2 and 3 
cells respectively, and 5 prey were found in both of 2 cells that 
were probably fully provisioned. 
The Talparo sandpit provided favorable nesting conditions 
for digger wasps and was exploited by numerous species. Oc- 
cupying the vertical walls of the sandpit were Trachypus petio- 
latus (Spinola), Cerceris dilatata Spinola and C. callani Krom- 
bein, and nesting with H. umbonieida and other Hoplisoides 
species in the flat sandy floor were, among others, Taehytes 
