OF WASHINGTON, VOLUME XIX, 1917 81 



however, the insects reared were a Syntomaspis of the same 

 species as the one observed to attempt oviposition in the pre- 

 vious season. Before this time, on May 31, one male of the 

 species had appeared in the Pickens material. Emergence of 

 Syntomaspis continued until June 16. 



The result of the rearings led to the suspicion that the Si/nto- 

 tintxpis was parasitic on the Megastigmus, and support of this idea 

 was secured when examination of a seed from which a Syntomaspis 

 had emerged disclosed an exuvium of a full-grown larva with 

 edentate mandibles and a dead and shrivelled larva with dentate 

 mandibles. Whether this is the normal habit of Syntomaspis 

 can not be stated definitely, but the much later emergence of 

 the Syntomaspis, together with its comparative rarity and the 

 condition of the seeds of the berries at the time the adults are 

 active all indicate that such is the case. 



The finding of the traces of both species in the single seed 

 also fixed the relation between the two species of adults, the larva 

 with dentate mandibles being that of Megastigmus and the one 

 with edentate mandibles that of Syntomaspis. Further proof of 

 the identity of the larvae was obtained on July 9, when berries 

 exposed to the attack of Megastigmus in cages and protected 

 against subsequent attack were found to contain larvae with 

 dentate mandibiles. 



The two species of insects concerned, both new to science, are 

 described herewith. 



Megastigmus amelanchieris n. sp. 



In Crosby's table to North American species of the genus 1 runs to 

 brevicaudis Ratzeburg, the ovipositor being barely as long as the abdomen 

 and the stigmal club broadly oval (Plate I, fig. f). It is easily distin- 

 guishable from that species by the color of the pronotum, which is black 

 above and yellow at the sides, and that portion of the scutellum beyond 

 the groove being smooth and polished, while in brevicaudis it is finely 

 aciculate. 



Female. Length 2.6 mm., abdomen 1 mm., ovipositor 1 mm. Head 

 viewed from in front slightly wider than long, viewed from above with 

 the temples as broad as the eyes and nearly angulately rounded; eyes 

 slightly divergent below; clypeus very short and broadly emarginate at 

 apex; malar space about 'as long as basal width of mandibles; sides of 

 face obliquely striatc with a few large, sctigerous punctures above the 

 antennal fossae; vertex, frons, and superior orbits transversely striate, 

 with a few large, shallow pits on orbits and vertex; anterior ocellus some- 

 what larger than lateral ocelli; ocell-ocular and intcrocellar lines equal 



1 Crosby, C. P., Ann. Ent, Hoc. Am., Vol. VI, 1913, p. 156. 



