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BIOLOGIA CENTRALI-AMERICANA. 



ZOOLOGIA. 



Class INSECTA. 

 Order HYMENOPTERA. 



SESSILIVENTRIA. 



Fam. TENTHEEDINID5I. 



Subfam. TJENTHBEDINA. 



This subfamily contains the Sawflies, which have two radial and three or four cubital 

 cellules, of which the second (or first when there are only three) and third (or second 

 when only three are present) receive each a recurrent nervure, both recurrent nervures 

 never being received in one cellule ; the lanceolate cellule is never petiolate ; the 

 antennae usually 9-jointed, more rarely 7-15-jointed ; and the larvae have twenty-two 

 legs. 



TENTHREDINIDES. 



This group includes the species which have the posterior spurs longer than one third 

 of the length of the metatarsus ; the antennae are 9-jointed ; the mandibles are large, 

 acute, and provided with two or three teeth, besides the apical one. The wings have 

 two radial and four cubital cellules, while the lanceolate cellule has usually a short 

 straight nervure : very rarely there is an oblique one ; and not uncommonly it is sub- 

 contracted ; in no case is it petiolate. The basal nervure is joined to, or received 

 very close to, the cubital. The larvae are never ornamented to any extent ; the vast 

 majority of them are some shade of green, brown, or black on the upper half of the 

 body, the lower half being paler ; most of them eject a brownish liquid from the 

 mouth when alarmed. The pupa state is passed in the earth, protected by an earthen 

 cell, which may or may not be strengthened by silk. Although this subtribe is very 

 numerously represented in the Nearctic Region, where the species are very numerous, 

 one hundred and thirty-nine being recorded in Kirby's Catalogue, yet only one species 

 is known from the Neotropical Region. 



biol. cente.-amee., Hymenopt., May 1883. bb 



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