OF WASHINGTON. 291 



Nos. 17 to 21, inclusive, of the American list, belonging to the 

 Ichneumonid genus Hemiteles and the Chalcidid genus Eupel- 

 mus have been kindly described for me by Prof. Riley, on ac 

 count of his particular interest in these two genera. 



AMERICAN HYMENOPTEROUS PARASITES. 



1. Polysphincta sp. 



A larva which was not reared to the adult, but which probably 

 belonged to Polysphincta, was found feeding externally upon 

 Steadota borealis Hentz in the District of Columbia. W. H. 

 Fox collector. 



See Insect Life, Vol. I, p. 42. 



2. Polysphincta (Zatypota) dictynae How. Insect Life, Vol. I, p. 106. 

 This species was reared from a larva feeding externally upon 



Dictyna volupis by J. H. Emerton, at Waltham, Mass. 



3. Polysphincta (Zatytopa) strigis n. sp. 



Female. Length, 5 mm. ; expanse, lo mm. Body black, with delicate 

 whitish pubescence; mesonotumand mesopleura dark honey-yellow, mes- 

 oscutum with three dark longitudinal bands; all coxoe and trochanters, 

 front and middle femora, and front tibiae and tarsi light ochre-yellow; mid 

 dle tibiae with a brown band at tip; tarsi brown, except base of first joint; 

 hind femora brown above, whitish below ; basal three-fourths of hind tibiae 

 whitish, apical fourth dark brown, nearly black, with a brownish spot 

 near base above; hind tarsi dark brown except base of first joint, which is 

 whitish; abdomen yellowish below at base; palpi yellowish white; 

 mandibles brown at base and extreme tip, otherwise yellowish ; clypeus 

 brown; wing veins dark brown; tegulie jellowish white. Abdomen 

 nearly smooth ; terebra exserted to a length equal to the last three joints 

 of the abdomen. No trace of a cubital cross-vein in the forewings, al 

 though the cubital vein is bent at quite a sharp angle. Fifth tarsal joint 

 subtriangular in shape, about as long as third; pulvillus large. Metas- 

 cutellum with two longitudinal median carinae, slightly diverting poste 

 riorly. 



Described from one female specimen. 



The larva of this species was found feeding externally upon 

 Epeira strix by Nathan Banks at Sea Cliff, Long Island, Ma} 7 1 1 , 

 1891. At the time of capture the parasitic larva was considerably 

 larger than the spider. The larva spun up May 14. When 

 brought to me, May 18, the cocoon was completed in the vial in 

 which Mr. Banks had placed the specimen. The cocoon was of 

 a densely spun yellow-brown silk, 6 mm. long, cylindrical, 2 

 mm. in diameter, and rounded at both ends. It was suspended 

 by a loose band of darker colored, coarser silk 7 mm. long, and 



