IPHIAULAX. 329 



IPHIAULAX. 



Iphiaulax, Forster, Verh. Ver. Rheinl. ix. p. 234 (1862). 



According to Forster, Iphiaulax differs from Bracon, as limited by him, by the 

 abdomen having "mehreren stark gekerbten breiten Querfurchen," while Bracon 

 has it without, " oder bloss mit einer einzigen, stark gekerbten, breiten Querfurche." 

 The distinction between the two seems to me to be very artificial, but I separate them 

 to facilitate identification. In some species the furrows behind the suturiform arti- 

 culation are not readily seen through being hidden by the overlapping segment in 

 front. The species of Iphiaulax are more numerous than those of Bracon, and have 

 an equally wide range over the globe, but are more especially numerous in the tropics. 

 As in Bracon, I have divided the ' genus ' into sections. 



I. A bifid or simple spine below the antennae. 



The group of I. nigriceps. 



Abdomen considerably longer than the head and thorax together ; petiole flat, with a 

 large tongue-shaped area in the centre, bounded by two narrow keels, the inner one 

 only surrounding the area at the base ; second segment depressed at the side and 

 having a stout keel on the basal half in the centre. Recurrent nervure interstitial. 

 (Species 1.) 



1. Iphiaulax nigriceps. (Tab. XIII. fig. 20, $ .) 



Bracon nigriceps, Brulle, Hist. Nat. Ins. Hymen, iv. p. 334 1 . 



Hab. Guatemala, Teleman (Champion); Nicaragua, Chontales (Janson); Panama, 

 Volcan de Chiriqui 2000 to 3000 feet, Bugaba (Champion) ; Guiana, Cayenne 1 . 



A 



II. No spine on the face. 



i. Abdomen not punctured or striated (I. brachyura excepted). (Species 2-54.) 



f No keel in the centre of the second segment. (Species 2-6.) 



The group of I. pulchripennis. 

 Eyes oval, not much longer than wide, not reaching to the clypeus. Basal joint of the 

 scape longish, narrow, longer than the following three joints united. Abdomen not 

 broadly dilated to the fourth segment, almost of equal breadth ; the tongue-shaped 

 area in the petiole not reaching to the base, the latter deeply excavated in the centre ; 

 nearly twice the length of the head and thorax united; the furrow down the sides of 

 the second segment narrow ; suturiform articulation narrow, shallow. Ovipositor 

 double the length of the body. Body luteous, the head and the apex of the abdomen 

 black; wings yellowish-hyaline, banded with fuscous. (Species 2 & 3.) 



1(2). Metathorax black pulchripennis. 



2 (1). Metathorax luteous rogersi. 



biol. CENTR.-AMER., Hymenopt., January 1887. 2 uu 



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