  VESPA ORIENTALIS.Plate XXXIX. fig. 1. Order: Hymenoptera. Section: Diploptera. Family: VespidÆ, Leach. Genus. Vespa, Linn. &c. Vespa Orientalis. Ferruginea, abdomine fasci flav ante apicem utrinque bipunctatÂ. (Long. Corp. 1 unc. 3 lin.) Syn. Vespa orientalis, Linn. Mant. 540. Fabr. Syst. Piez. 254. 4. Vespa turcica, Drury, App. vol. 3. Habitat: Smyrna (Drury). "In Oriente" (Linn.). Front of the head yellow. Eyes brown. AntennÆ the length of the thorax. Ocelli distinct. Jaws black. Tongue not to be discovered. Thorax and abdomen brown chesnut; the third and fourth rings of the latter yellow. Wings thin, but not transparent. Legs brown; the anterior with a single and the four posterior with two tibial spurs. Drury observes of this and the next insect, that "they make nests like the mason-fly described in Vol. I. Pl. 44. Fig. 6." The correctness of this statement may however be questioned as regards both of the insects in question, which, from their evident relationship to the common English hornet (Vespa Crabro Linn.) must surely possess similar habits to those of that insect. SCOLIA 4-MACULATA.Plate XXXIX. fig. 2. Order: Hymenoptera. Section: Fossores. Family: ScoliidÆ. Genus. Scolia, Fabr. Latr. Sphex, Linn. Vespa, Drury. Scolia 4-maculata. Hirta, nigra, fusco-pubescens, abdomine nigro maculis quatuor fulvis, alis obscuris. (Long. Corp. 1 unc.) Syn. Scolia 4-maculata, Fabr. Ent. Syst. 2. 229. 4. Syst. Piez. 240. 5. Vespa maculata, Drury, App. vol. 2. Habitat: Jamaica (Drury). North America (Fabr.). Head brown. AntennÆ the length of the thorax, which is also brown. Wings nearly transparent. Abdomen black, with four yellow spots placed on the upper side. Legs brown. I have employed the Fabrician specific name in preference to that precedently employed by Drury, as being more appropriate, there being other species of the genus named 6-maculata and 2-maculata. BOMBYLIUS PLUMIPES.Plate XXXIX. fig. 3. Order: Diptera. Section: Tanystoma. Family: BombyliidÆ, Leach. Genus. Bombylius, Linn. &c. Bombylius Plumipes. Flavido hirtus, alarum basi costÂque brunneis, tarsis posticis basi lobatis. (Long. Corp. 5½ lin.) Syn. Bombylius plumipes, Drury, App. vol. 2. Wiedemann Auss. Zw. Ins. 1. 351. Habitat: Jamaica. Head brown; and from the mouth extends a very slender proboscis, through which the insect obtains its food; being almost as long as the whole body. AntennÆ short, and like hairs. Wings transparent, but along the anterior edges brown. Legs long, the hinder ones furnished at the base of the tarsi with two remarkable flaps. PEPSIS CŒRULEANA.Plate XXXIX. fig. 4. Order: Hymenoptera. Section: Fossores. Family: PompilidÆ. Genus. Pepsis, Fabr. Latr. Sphex, Linn. Drury. Pepsis Coeruleana. Nigra, alis coerulescenti-nitidis, pedibus aurantiis. (Long. Corp. lin. 12.) Syn. Sphex coeruleana, Drury, App. vol. 2. Habitat: Bight of Benin, Coast of Africa. Head, antennÆ, and eyes black. Ocelli distinct. It is tongueless, with four palpi. Jaws strong. Wings fine deep mazarine blue, not folded, but lying flat. Thorax and abdomen black. Legs orange-coloured; the fore ones being furnished with a single tibial spur, the rest having two that are rather long. This insect, according to Mr. Smeathman, makes a clicking noise when it flies, like a rocket, which may be heard at twenty yards distance. It is a very strong and rapacious insect, and is often seen flying from bush to bush with a grasshopper in its claws at least twice its own size, and which is evidently destined to be deposited in its nest, and to become the food of the future progeny of the Pepsis. "There is a species like this found in the West Indies, with orange antennÆ and black legs; also another that is entirely black."—Drury. MANTIS (THESPIS) PARVA.Plate XXXIX. fig. 5. Order: Orthoptera. Section: Cursoria. Family: MantidÆ. Genus. Mantis, Linn. Subgenus: Thespis, Serville. Mantis (Thespis) Parva. PallidÈ olivaceo-fusca, prothorace longo cylindrico, pedibus gracilibus simplicibus. (Long. Corp. 1 unc. 4½ lin.) Syn. Mantis parva, Drury, App. vol. 2. Oliv. Encycl. No. 48. Serville Revis. Orthopt. p. 28. (Thespis p.) Mantis minuta, Fabr. Ent. Syst. 2. 24.? Habitat: America. When this insect was living it was probably of a light green colour; but it is now entirely of a dusky olive. Head small. Eyes round, and placed at a distance from each other. AntennÆ small, and thread-like, and about half the length of the insect. Thorax long and slender. Tegmina thin, narrow, and diaphanous, of the same length with the wings; but narrower, and placed at a little distance from them. Wings also thin and diaphanous, and when closed extending to the anus. Abdomen slender and rounded. Legs small and long, the hinder ones being formed rather for running than jumping; the fore ones having thread-like tarsi. PEPSIS RUBRA.Plate XXXIX. fig. 6. Order: Hymenoptera. Section: Fossores. Family: PompilidÆ. Genus. Pepsis, Fabr. Latr. Sphex, Linn. Drury. Pepsis Rubra. Corpore pedibusque nigro cyaneis, antennis nigris, alis rufis apice albis. (Long. Corp. 1 unc.) Syn. Sphex rubra, Drury, App. vol. 2. Pepsis Speciosa, Fabr. Ent. Syst. 2. 217. 83. Syst. Piez. 215. 45. Pal. Beauv. Ins. d'Afr. et d'Amer. Hym. Pl. 2. f. 5. Habitat: Antigua (Drury). Saint Domingo (Pal. Beauv.). Head and antennÆ black; it has four palpi, no tongue, but strong jaws. Ocelli distinct. Thorax, abdomen, and all the legs deep mazarine blue, nearly black. Wings red; the tips being transparent. Legs furnished with spines at the tips of the tibiÆ; the fore ones having only one, all the rest two. Fabricius (Syst. Piez. 214. 33.) refers this figure to the Sphex coerulea of LinnÆus, which differs in having the wings ferruginous but black at the base ("basi nigrÆ," Linn.) and PELOPÆUS PETIOLATUS.Plate XXXIX. fig. 7. Order: Hymenoptera. Section: Fossores. Family: SphegidÆ. Genus. PelopÆus, Latr. Fabr. Sphex, Drury. PelopÆus Petiolatus. Fuscus, thorace abdomineque nitidis brunneis. (Expans. Alar. 1 unc.) Syn. Sphex petiolatus, Drury, App. vol. 2. Habitat: Jamaica. Head and antennÆ brown. Thorax and abdomen shining dark brown, and separated by a rather long peduncle. Wings brown and thin. Legs also brown; the fore ones having a single tibial spur, the rest having two. SPHEX PENSYLVANICA.Plate XXXIX. fig. 8. Order: Hymenoptera. Section: Fossores. Family: SphegidÆ. Genus. Sphex, Linn. Latr. &c. Pepsis, Fabr. Pal. Beauv. Sphex Pensylvanica. Nigra, abdomine petiolato atro, alis subviolaceis. (Expans. Alar. 1 unc. 6 lin.) Syn. Sphex Pensylvanica, Linn. Syst. Nat. 1. 2. 941. Fabr. Syst. Piez. 211. 15. (Pepsis v.) Paul. Beauv. Ins. d'Afr. et d'Amer. Hym. pl. 3 fig. 4. Sphex coerulea, Drury, App. vol. 2. (nec Linn. Syst. N.) Habitat: New York. Head and antennÆ black. Ocelli distinct. Mouth furnished with jaws, but no tongue to be discerned. Thorax and abdomen dark mazarine blue, almost black; the former is hairy, and separated from the latter by a slender peduncle. Wings brown and thin. Legs dark blue; the fore ones with a single tibial spur, all the rest having two. |
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