MYDAS CLAVATUS.Plate XLIV. fig. 1. Order: Diptera. Section: Notacantha, Latr. Family: MydasidÆ, Leach. Genus. Mydas, Fabr. Latr. Midas, Weidemann. Musca, Drury, De Geer. Mydas Clavatus. Niger, abdominis segmento secundo aurantiaco, alis nigris. (Long. Corp. 1 unc. 3 lin.) Syn. Musca clavata, Drury, App. vol. 2. (1773.) Bibio filata, Fabr. Mant. Ins. 2. 328. 1. (1787.) Syst. Antl. 60. 1. (Mydas f.) Weidemann Aussereur. Zweifl. Ins. 1. 240. 3. tab. 11. fig. 3. Ditto in Nova Acta Nat. Curios. vol. 5. p. 2. pl. 53. fig. 8. Nemotelus asiloides, De Geer Mem. vol. 6. t. 29. f. 6. Habitat: New York, and other parts of North America. Head black. AntennÆ nearly the length of the thorax, black, slender, and knobbed at their extremities. Thorax black and smooth. Wings coppery brown, very membranaceous, and not transparent. Abdomen black, and composed of eight segments, the second being of a deep yellow; which colour extends only to its sides, the under part being black. Legs entirely black; the hinder ones being furnished with a strong spine at the tips of the tibiÆ, the middle ones having four small ones, and the fore ones none. Each of the ungues has two small yellow scales (puvilli) placed underneath. TABANUS PLUMBEUS.Plate XLIV. fig. 2. Order: Diptera. Section: Tabaniens, Latr. Family: TabanidÆ, Leach. Genus. Tabanus, Linn, &c. Tabanus Plumbeus. ObscurÈ coccinelleus, abdomine marginibus posticis pallidioribus, alis sublimpidis cost fuscÂ, antennis brunneo-rufis. (Long. Corp. 1 unc.) Syn. Tabanus plumbeus, Drury, App. vol. 2. Tabanus ruficornis, Fabr. Syst. Ent. 789. 8. Syst. Antl. 96. 14. Weidemann Auss. Zw. Ins. 1. 112. Tabanus Americanus, Forster NovÆ Sp. Insect. Cent. 1. 100. Tabanus limbatus, Pal. Beauvois Ins. d'Afr. & d'Amer. Dipt. t. 1. f. 2. Habitat: New York, Virginia, &c. North America. Head ash-coloured. Eyes nearly black. AntennÆ red brown. Only one ocellus, placed a little above the antennÆ. Proboscis almost equal in length to the depth of the head. Thorax dark greenish-brown coloured; having a white spot at the base of each wing. Abdomen dark brown colour; each segment being on the under side margined with grey. Wings transparent; anterior edges brown and opake. Legs dark brown; the middle ones having two spines at the tips of each of the tibiÆ. The ungues have two small brown scales under them. Breast hairy and ash-coloured, but white on the sides. TABANUS AMERICANUS.Plate XLIV. fig. 3. Order: Diptera. Section: Tabaniens. Family: TabanidÆ. Genus. Tabanus, Linn. &c. Tabanus Americanus. Niger, abdomine canescente, alis fusco-nigris. (Long. Corp. circ. 11 lin.) Syn. Tabanus Americanus, Drury, App. vol. 2. (nec Forster.) Tabanus atratus, Fabr. Syst. Ent. 789. 9. Syst. Antl. 96. 16. Weidemann Auss. Zw. Ins. 1. 114. No. 3. Tabanus niger, Pal. Beauv. Ins. Afr. et Amer. Dipt. t. 1. f. 1. Habitat: New York, and other parts of North America. Head black. AntennÆ black, being placed on the front of the head; the parts surrounding them shining, as if finely polished. Ocelli wanting. Proboscis red brown; being inclosed in a kind of sheath, which is black. Thorax very dark brown, almost black. Wings dark brown and membranaceous, not transparent. Abdomen lead coloured, the extremity nearly black; being of the same colour underneath as at top. Legs entirely black; the middle ones being furnished with two spines at the tips of the tibiÆ. Breast hairy and black. SPHEX JAMAICENSISPlate XLIV. fig. 4. Order: Hymenoptera. Section: Fossores. Family: SphegidÆ, Leach. Genus. Sphex, Linn. &c. Sphex Jamaicensis. Castaneo-rufus, abdomine nitido, capite thoraceque fulvo-hirtis, antennis nigris, alis fuscis. Syn. Vespa Jamaicensis, Drury, App. vol. 2. Habitat: Jamaica. Head brown orange. AntennÆ almost black, and near the length of the thorax. Eyes large, and dark brown. Thorax brown orange-coloured, and hairy, with a black spot between the wings. Wings nearly transparent, and doubled or folded together. Abdomen shining and very smooth, red brown, and united to the thorax by a small but short thread-like peduncle. Legs red brown, and, except the fore ones, furnished with three spines at the tips of the tibiÆ. Drury described this insect as having the wings doubled or folded together, a peculiarity observed only in the wasps, amongst which the insect was placed by our author, who named it Vespa Jamaicensis. My specimen of this insect, which I have reason to believe belonged to Drury, is so pinned, that the upper surface of the thorax is pressed down, and the upper wing forced backwards, and thrown nearly upside down, which was evidently the case with the specimen described by Drury. SCOLIA FOSSULANA.Plate XLIV. fig. 5. Order: Hymenoptera. Section: Fossores. Family: ScoliidÆ. Genus. Scolia, Fabr. Sphex, Drury. Scolia Fossulana. Atra, thorace flavido hirto, abdomine fasciis quatuor flavis, intermediis dentatis. (Long. Corp. 1 unc.) Syn. Scolia fossulana, Fabr. Syst. Piez. 242. No. 18. Sphex plumipes, Drury, App. vol. 2. Habitat: New York. Head pale yellow in front, black on the top and hairy. AntennÆ black, and shorter than the thorax. Neck hairy, lemon-coloured. Thorax black, and covered with yellow hairs. Wings dark brown, almost transparent; not folded or doubled together. Abdomen black underneath and lemon-coloured above, where it has three black lines crossing it, two of them being broadest in the middle. Anus and breast I should have retained the specific name given to this insect by Drury, on account of its priority, but it is so inappropriate, not only being applicable to one sex alone, the female, but the spines on the fore legs being found throughout the genus, as well as in nearly all the burrowing Hymenoptera. Fabricius has incorrectly referred this figure to his Scolia radula, which has a spotted thorax. PELOPÆUS CÆMENTARIUS.Plate XLIV. fig. 6. Imago—fig. 7. Cocoon—fig. 8. Imago taken out of the Cocoon. Order: Hymenoptera. Section: Fossores. Family: SpegidÆ. Genus. PelopÆus, Latr. Fabr. Sphex, Linn. Drury. PelopÆus CÆmentarius. Abdomine petiolato nigro, segmento primo (excl. pedunc.) lunul flav thoraceque punctis flavis, pedibus flavis posticorum femoribus apiceque tibiarum nigris. (Long. Corp. 1 unc.) Syn. Sphex CÆmentaria, Drury, App. vol. 2. PelopÆus lunatus, Fabr. Syst. Piez. 203. Habitat: Jamaica, Antigua, St. Christopher's (Drury). "In America insulis, in India orientali frequens." (Fabricius, incorrectly?) Head black and hairy. AntennÆ black, basal joint yellow. Thorax black, with short hairs on it, but next the head yellow, having a yellow spot at the base of each wing, and another next the abdomen. Wings brown, and almost transparent; lying flat, not folded. Abdomen black and round, nearly as long as the thorax; basal segment (exclusive of the peduncle) yellow; pointed at the tip, and armed with a retractile sting. Peduncle very slender, black at top, and yellow underneath; being nearly the length of the thorax itself. Breast black. Fore and middle legs black next the body, but from the middle of the thighs yellow. Hinder thighs and lower parts of the shins black, the remainder yellow. Claws black. The following particulars relative to the economy of this species were communicated to Mr. Drury from a correspondent in Antigua, who forwarded to him specimens of the insect. "This insect is called at Antigua, and several other places in the West Indies, the Mason Fly, a name given it from the remarkable manner in which it builds its nest, or receptacle for its young. "When the male and female have performed the business of copulation, their[30] next care is to provide a proper habitation for raising and securing their future progeny; to this end they seek out a proper spot that is secure from rains, &c. and is so situated as to afford a "The separation of the thorax and abdomen, by such a long slender membrane or ligament, is very singular, and the power the insect is invested with, by means of those jaws or forceps placed at its mouth, is really wonderful; for the number of insects, of a superior strength, as well as size, which it is capable of destroying, is scarcely credible. It will overcome a spider of twice its own size, if it can but get upon the back of it, by means of its forceps and sting: nor will multitudes of other insects find it a less formidable enemy, if they are not guarded by nature with a covering too hard to yield to the force of these destructive weapons. In short, it seems to be an animal formed by nature, as one of those instruments instituted for subduing and lessening the vast numbers of small insects that abound in warm climates." |