On Eumenes Alluaudi Perez, a Precinctive Wasp of the Seychelles (Hymenoptera)

In my Catalogue of Ethiopian Diplopterous Wasps, published in 1918, I have attempted to correlate the various described forms of African Eumenes. In many cases, where specimens were not available for study, my conclusions were based on such inferences as could be made from published accounts, and were therefore only tentative. Eumenes alluaudi J. Perez,2 for instance, I regarded at the time as one of the color variants of Eumenes lepeleterii Saussure, to which it was said to be related by the author of the species. Through the courtesy of Mr. A. S. Rohwer, I recently had opportunity to examine a series of specimens of E. alluaudi in the U. S. National Museum collection, and was surprised to find that this wasp is structurally very distinct from any of its congeners. Since it apparently is restricted to a very small range in the Seychelles and neighboring islands, and thus; affords a typical illustration of the effects of oceanic isolation upon the appearance and preservation of specific characters, it may be useful to redescribe the form and to figure some of its most note-worthy peculiarities

THE COMMON ORIENTAL HORNETS, VESPA TROPICA AND VESPA AFFINIS, AND THEIR COLOR FORMS

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III. The Predaceous Enemies of Ants

The various means by which Nature prevents an excessive increase of the species not only forms in itself an interesting chapter of ecology, but its study is also of great importance in an understanding of the true meaning of Natural Selection. In the case of ants it has been contended that they are better defended than other insects against the attacks of predatory animals. Poulton evidently takes this for granted when he considers that ants, together with wasps, are among the favorite models for mimicking insects and other arthropods. These ant-like arthropods, having acquired by Natural Selection their resemblance to the aggressive, abundant, and well-defended ants, would according to this theory escape many of the attacks of their deceived and disgusted predaceous enemies. Though the evidence presented in the following pages is still very fragmentary, I trust the reader may easily conclude for himself to what extent such resemblances, which, in some cases at least, can hardly be doubted, have a real protective value. There is certainly little or no evidence to show that, as the theory is often expressed, ants are unpalatable to most insectivorous animals and are merely eaten accidentally or during the time in which young birds or other animals are learning what to eat with impunity and what to reject

Hymenoptera Collected Near Boston, Mass., with Descriptions of a Variety of Bombus affinis

While collecting Hymenoptera at Forest Hills, Mass., and other localities in the vicinity of Boston, I have taken on two occasions a bumble-bee, which from its aberrant coloration could not be properly named with Franklin\u27s Bombidae of the New World. I have been permitted to examine similarly colored Bombus, taken some years previous by Professor Wheeler at Forest Hills and by Mr. J. E. Smith at Sherborn, Mass. It was finally recognized that all these specimens belong to a striking color-variant of Bombus affinis, which it is the purpose of this note to describe and name. I have used this opportunity to present an account of the Bombidae of the neighborhood of Boston and to record some other interesting Hymenoptera of that region

Scientific Results of the Katmai Expedition of the National Geographic Society XIII. Bees and Wasps

Through the kindness of Prof. J as. S. Hine, I have been given the opportunity to examine the Aculeate Hymenoptera obtained by him during his two trips to Alaska in the summers of 1917 and 1919. The following list of the species collected includes also a few specimens taken at Seattle, Wash. Mr. Viereck has kindly confirmed the identification of Andrena jrigida

The Nearctic Psammocharids of the Genus Aporinellus Banks

On one of the collecting trips made this summer with Prof. William M. Wheeler, in the vicinity of Boston, I collected a little Psammocharid which has proved to be an undescribed species of Aporinellus. In comparing this specimen with Mr. Nathan Banks\u27 extensive collection of Psammocharids I have found another undescribed member of the same genus. Descriptions of both forms are given herewith, together with a brief review of the group. I am much indebted to Mr. Nathan Banks, of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, Mass., for the loan of rich material containing many types and for valuable bibliographic help

On the Occurance of Vespa Austriaca Panzer in the Northeastern United States

There are many facts in the taxonomy and still more in the life-histories of the common American wasps (Vespa) which need a thorough revision. The following small contribution is made with the hope of interesting other entomologists in the subject. During the last summer, the .writer made a point of capturing all the specimens of wasps he met with on his collecting trips, but the result as a whole was very poor, 1916 apparently not being a wasp-year. However, amongst the catch were found two females which he was unable to refer to any of the species previously known from North America and it was found that they belonged to what is called in Europe Vespa austriaca Panzer

Vestigial Pleometrosis in the North American Polistes Pallipes Lepeletier

In the October-December, 1919, issue of this BULLETIN my esteemed friend, Mr. Wm. T. Davis, has published some observations of the common American social wasps, a most welcome addition to the scanty literature of the subject in America. Among other interesting points, he relates several cases in which two, three, or four queens of the common Eastern Polistes pallipes Lepeletier ( = metrica Say; variatus Say) had worked together in establishing a new colony, though in this as in other species of Polistes each queen as a rule starts her nest alone

8. The South and Central African Species of the Genus Synagris Latreille (Hymenoptera)

This is the first of a series of articles in which I shall deal with the diplopterous wasps of South and Central Africa, south of 10° S. lat. The area under consideration includes the south-eastern portion of the Belgian Congo, or the Katanga district, which in its fauna and flora has many points in common with Northern Rhodesia, and differs considerably from the equatorial Congo belt. Since for lack of material the wasps of the Katanga could not be fully treated before, the present paper will supplement my Revision of Congo Vespidae (1918)