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.