Illustrations of Exotic Entomology, Volume 3Drury, Dru
Science
Illustrations of Exotic Entomology, Volume 3
Drury, Dru
Insects -- Pictorial works
Head dark brown. Jaws strong: two of the palpi are long, the other two
short. Tongue dilated, and tufted at the tips. Eyes oblong, shining and
prominent. Thorax and abdomen brown-black. Abdominal peduncle short. In
the specimen figured the sting was exserted, curved, and furnished with
two short clavate instruments at its base. Wings thin, and diaphanous.
Legs yellow-brown, and furnished with a great number of short spines from
the claws to the base of the tibiæ. Tibiæ with two spurs, except those of
the fore-legs, which have but one.
Fabricius has described an insect from South America, under the name of
Pepsis Heros, which nearly agrees with this species, with the following
reference--"Sphex Securus, Drury Ins. . tab. . fig. ." It will be
sufficient to observe that Drury has described no such insect, although it
is probable that Fabricius, who was on terms of intimacy with our author,
might have seen the unpublished figure of such insect in his possession.
Mr. Smeathman informed our author that he was once stung in the finger by
one of these insects, but the pain was not so severe as might have been
expected from a wound made by so large a creature belonging to this genus.
His method, when stung by any insects in Africa, was to open the puncture
with a lancet, and squeeze out the blood and venom together, which, when
effectually done, soon caused the pain to abate.
CHLORION FEROX.
Plate XLII. fig. 2.
ORDER: Hymenoptera. SECTION: Fossores. FAMILY: Sphegidæ, _Leach_.
GENUS. CHLORION, _Latr._ Sphex, _Drury_.
CHLORION FEROX. Viridi-cyaneum, nitidissimum, antennis pedibusque nigris,
alis fuscescentibus. (Expans. Alar. fere 2 unc.)
SYN. Sphex ferus, _Drury_, _App. vol._ 3.
Sphex lobata? _Fabr. Ent. Syst._ 2. 206. 30. _Syst. Piez._ 217.
HABITAT: China.
Head fine green. Jaws strong. Tongue not observed. Eyes oblong. Antennæ
black. Wings thin and diaphanous. Thorax and abdomen beautiful shining
emerald green. Legs black.
The description given by Drury of this insect entirely agrees with a very
common Chinese insect, the Chlorion lobatum, Latr. This figure is however
hardly to be recognized.
{57}ATTA FERVENS.
Plate XLII. fig. 3.
ORDER: Hymenoptera. SECTION: Heterogyna. FAMILY: Formicidæ, _Leach_.
GENUS. ATTA, _Fabr. Latreille_. Formica, _Linn. Drury_.
ATTA FERVENS. Fusca, sericea, alis fuscis, capitis angulis posticis
rotundatis. (Expans. Alar. 2 unc. 6 lin.)
SYN. Formica fervens, _Drury_, _App. vol._ 2. _Say in Journ. of Nat.
Hist. Soc. of Boston_, _p._ 290.
HABITAT: Musquito Shore, on the Bay of Mexico.
Antennæ small, setaceous, and shorter than the thorax. Head dark brown,
small and flat, armed with strong jaws. Eyes small, round and black.
Thorax and abdomen dark brown, and velvety. Wings brown and diaphanous.
Legs coloured like the body, without any spines at any of the joints;
neither is there any abdominal peduncle.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account