102 THE CANADIAN EMTOMOLOGIST. 



A NEW EGG-PARASITE OF THE PERIODICAL CICADA. 



BY L. O. HOWARD, WASHINGTON, D. C. 



The Chalcidid subfamily Trichogranimatince is composed entirely of 

 species parasitic in the eggs of other insects. A synopsis of the genera 

 has recently been published by Dr. Chr. Aurivillius in " Entomologisk 

 Tidskrift " for 1897, pp. 249-256, apropos to the establishment of a new 

 genus (Oophthora) for a species which he has reared in Sweden from the 

 eggs of Semblidis liitarice. In this synopsis of the genera Dr. Aurivillius 

 makes Lathromeris, Forster (Hymenopt. Stud., 1S56, 2, pp. S7-89) a 

 synonym of Chinetostricha, Haliday (An. and Mag. Nat. Hist., Ser. 2, Vol. 

 7, 1851, p. 212). 



Without being able to consult types, it is obvious to the writer, from 

 comparison of Haliday's original description with that of Forster, that the 

 two genera cannot be synonymous since Lathromeris has a compact 

 4-jointed club, whereas Chtetostricha is described as having the 3rd joint 

 broad, with the 4th, 5th and 6th forming the club (3-jointed). Moreover, 

 Lathromeris has a ring-joint which was not mentioned in the description 

 of the Halidayan genus. The following description, therefore, may be 

 considered as reviving the genus Lathromeris. The additional " kieines 

 grififelformiges endglied " which Forster states appears to be present with 

 Lathromeris is not present with the following species, but the club bears 

 several long apical hairs which, were they moistened and stuck together, 

 would have the appearance described by the famous German hymenop- 

 terologist. 



Lathromeris cicad.e, new species. 



Female. — Length, .74 mm.; expanse, 1.48 mm.; greatest width of 

 fore wing, .21 mm. Body long and slender, abdomen acuminate and 

 longer than head and thorax together ; antenna; short, clavate, scape 

 rather stout, pedicel still stouter and half as long as scape, ring-joint very 

 minute, almost imperceptible, club stouter than pedicel and as long as 

 scape, compact but rather j)lainly divided into 4 subequal joints, the 

 apical one being slightly the longest, fusiform in shape and with rather 

 long delicate hairs, especially toward the tip ; wings ample, with short 

 marginal cilia ; stigmal vein not curved and extending into disk of wing 

 at an angle of about 45 degrees from costa. Colour sordid yellowish, 

 occiput black; pronotum dusky, black at sides ; abdomen dark at sides ; 

 eyes coral red; ocelli very dark red, almost claret coloured ; antennae 

 slightly dusky. 



