Jan., '05] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 1 7 



vray took a 9 of a species new to science which he has kindly 

 permitted me to describe below. 



There remains for Ropronia only a choice of the Ichneumo- 

 noidea or Proctotrypoidea or of a new superfamily between 

 them. In the Aculeates and Proctotrypoidea the arrangement 

 of the abdominal segments is such as to make the sting-like 

 ovipositor arise from the apex of the abdomen ; in the Ichneu- 

 monoidea it arises apparently from the ventral surface anterior 

 to the apex, caused by a modification of the ventral segments. 

 A study of the two 9 's of Ropronia proves to my satisfaction, 

 although not beyond the limits of doubt, that the arrange- 

 ment in Ropronia is of the Ichneumonoid type, but other char- 

 acters, such as the chitiuization of the ventral segments, the 

 nature and insertion of the petiole, the head and the wing 

 venation are not like those of Ichneumonids, excepting per- 

 haps Evaniidse. It is evident to me that we have an old type 

 perhaps greatly modified, as in the hypothetical case of E in 

 the diagram. Its true relations will continue a matter of 

 doubt until some one works out from exhaustive and system- 

 atic study the phylogeny of the parasitic Hymenoptera. Until 

 this be done, I shall personally consider it as representing a 

 distinct family, ROPRONIIDAE between Ichneumonidae and 

 Evaniidae. Of one thing I am certain, that it has no close 

 affinities with Monomackus in which the type of abdomen is 

 Proctotrypoid, and the shape utterly different ; in fact there 

 are no characters in common except a superficial similarity in 

 wing venation, which may mean, so far as we know, perhaps 

 much, perhaps nothing at all. 



Ropronia ashmeadii n. sp. 



9 Dull black, abdomen except petiole, front femora except basal third, 

 front tibia and base of tarsi bright red. 



/ Head seen from above transverse quadrate, the eyes prominent, the 

 distance behind them considerable ; occiput rather sharply angled ; man- 

 dibles black, bidentate, clypeus evenly rounded ; face in front slightly 

 swollen mesally below the antenna-, very irregularly roughened by sharp 

 irregular wrinkles, interspersed with shallow punctures i>l var i<>u> sixes, 

 in a row around the edge of the rather small eyes and on the temples 

 and cheeks sub-regularly quadro-reticulate ; above the antenna- the 

 wrinkles are less irregular, drawn out into long reticulations, again shallow 



