214 JOURNAL OF THE WASHINGTON ACADEMY OF SCIENCES VOL. 11, NO. 9 



Regular program 



J. Chester Bradley: Plumarius, an aberrant genus of Hynienoptera. 



In 1S73 Philippi described a male hymenopterous insect under the name 

 Plumarius, referred tentatively to the family Evaniidae. From that time 

 to the present the identity and relations of this insect have been a puzzle to 

 zoologists. In 1909 Andre described the genus Konowiella, also from the 

 male sex only, remarking that he was unable to assign it to any family. 

 vSpecimens from Argentina in the hands of Professor BruES and the writer, 

 evidently of Konowiella, brought out the probability that it is synonymous 

 with Plumarius, that it is an arid region foim, and nocturnal. 



Entomologists in Argentina were not able to throw any light upon the 

 time of year, habits, occurrence or identity of these insects, but in the arid 

 foothills of the Eastern Andes near Mendoza the speaker obtained last 

 March about 100 specimens, attracted to light, of five or six species, and later 

 two specimens on the western side of the Andes in Peru. It is thus evident 

 that the insects represent a numerous and not uncommon group in the Andean 

 arid regions, and perhaps may be analogous in their economy to Brachycistis 

 of our Southwestern deserts. 



Subsequently, at Santiago, the speaker found in the National Museum 

 Philippi 's type of Plumarivis, and has been able to prove the identity of 

 Konowiella with that insect. 



Ashmead and Szepligeti had placed Plumarius in different subfamilies of 

 Braconidae, and the speaker, eleven years ago, had inclined to the belief 

 that it represented a distinct ichneumonoid family. Andre believed his 

 Konowiella allied with the Mutillidae, Thynnidae and Scoliidae. 



With the Evaniidae and Braconidae Plumarius has no affinities. It is an 

 aculeate, possessing 1 -segmented trochanters, 13-segmented antennae (not 

 more than 16-segmented, as stated by Philippi), and a distinct preaxillary 

 incision in the hind wings, a character of many aculeates, but of no Ichneu- 

 monoidea. The hind wings are also in venation quite of the aculeate type. 



Two accessory veins in the forewing appear at first sight without analogy 

 in other wasps. A study of the forewing of Scaptodactyla and Photopsis, 

 howe\cr, demonstrates the manner in which these veins have really arisen 

 from the accessory spurs characteristic of many Mutillidae. 



In many respects the insects resemble male ants, but lack petioles. The 

 body characters are neither strongly dissimilar, not do they entirely agree 

 with the Mutillidae and their allies. The genitalia are of a type not dissimilar 

 to Myrmosidae. Cerci are present. 



Andre was undoubtedly correct in suggesting the affinities of these insects 

 with genera which we now place in the Myrmosidae. Yet the relation must 

 not be considered too close. The only justifiable conclusion is to erect for 

 these insects a new family which must take its place as related to Mutillidae 

 and Myrmosidae. 



It is to be regretted that we do not know the female, but it is undoubtedly 

 apterous. (x\uthor's abstract.) 



This paper was discussed by L. O. Howard and vS. A. Rohwer. 



W. E. Safford: Hawaii revisited. 



The Hawaiian Islands have been visited several times by Dr. Safford. 

 In the paper presented by him he dwelt upon the changes which have taken 

 place in the natural and social conditions between his first visit thirty-three 



