4 HYMENOPTERA. 



in the apical fourth of the wing, the transverse median a little in front of the middle 

 of cellule ; the third cubital cellule is a little shorter than the second ; accessory nervure 

 in posterior wing appendiculated. 



In the male the breast is brown, black behind ; the coxae are marked with black 

 at the base. 



STRONGYLOGASTER. 



Strongy log aster, Dahlbom, Consp. Tenthr. pp. 4, 13 (1835) ; Hartig, Blattw. p. 299. 



The European species of Strongy log aster are only to be distinguished from Selandria 

 by the former having the body " longish, cylindrical, and the costa not dilated before 

 the stigma," while the latter has the body " short, thick, and the costa thickened and 

 dilated before the stigma." These characters (not quite satisfactory even with Euro- 

 pean species) fail altogether with the Neotropical forms ; and I have not been able 

 to find other characters to distinguish them. I have not, however, united the two 

 genera, but have, as a matter of convenience, retained Selandria for the species with 

 short stout bodies. The species I have included in Strongylog aster differ in the form of 

 the antennae, some having them long, pilose, and slightly thickened beyond the middle, 

 while with others they are short and thick ; the eyes, too, may or may not reach close to 

 the base of the mandibles; the metatarsus is longer than all the outer joints together, 

 which is never the case with Palaearctic species ; and the clypeus is truncated. The 

 mandibles have a sharp apical tooth; there is only one subapical tooth, and its edge 

 is curved. The basal joint of the labial palpi is the longest and thinnest; the second 

 is nearly the size of the fourth ; the third is the shortest, and is broader than the 

 others. The maxillary palpi are long; the second and sixth joints are shorter than 

 the intermediate, and nearly of equal length ; the intermediate joints are also subequal ; 

 but the relative lengths of the joints vary. 



Nothing is known about the habits of the American species of Strongylog aster ; but 

 the majority (and probably the whole) of the European species feed during their larval 

 life on ferns. Nine European species are known, one from Japan, one from Siberia, 

 another from Singapore, and twenty-one frOm America north of Mexico. America 

 would thus seem to be the head quarters of the genus. 



1. Strongylogaster apertus. 



Tenthredo aperta, Kirby, List of Hymen, i. p. 320, t. 7. f. 16. 

 Hah. Mexico, Orizaba. 



2. Strongylogaster picticornis. 



Niger, albido-pictus, abdomine testaceo, dorso medio nigro, pedibus pallide testaceis ; alis hyalinis, costa et 



stigmate testaceis. 

 Long. $ 8 millim., c? 6 millim. 



