Order: Hymenoptera. Section: Fossores. Family: Bembecidæ.
Genus. Stizus, Latr. Jurine. Sphex, Drury. Vespa Et Larra p. Fabr.
Stizus Speciosus. Ferrugineus, abdomine atro fasciis tribus interruptis flavis. (Long. Corp. fere 1 unc. 6 lin.)
Syn. Sphex Speciosus, Drury, App. vol. 2. (1773.)
Vespa tricincta, Fabr. Ent. Syst. 2. 254. 5. (1793.) Syst. Piez. 254. 5.
Habitat: North America.
Head greenish brown: on the top are three little eyes. Mouth furnished with jaws. Eyes large, oblong, and dark brown. Antennæ shorter than the thorax. It has no tongue. Thorax greenish brown. Anterior wings extending beyond the abdomen, being thin and diaphanous. Abdomen furnished with a sting, and entirely black, except the first three rings, which are party-coloured, and mixed with yellow; the middle one being surrounded with that colour. Legs dusky orange, but when living they were probably of a yellow colour. Breast black, but covered with hairs, making it appear of a greyish hue.
This is the largest and finest species of the genus to which it belongs. Drury, contrary to his usual practice, is silent as to its habitat, and Fabricius states America generally. I have received it from Mr. Titian R. Peale of Philadelphia. That it is identical with the Vespa tricincta of Fabricius I am enabled to state by an examination of the individual contained in the Banksian Collection, now belonging to the Linnæan Society of London, which was described by Fabricius.
TREMEX COLUMBA.
Plate [XXXVIII]. fig. 2.