THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 177 



CLASSIFICATION OF THE HORNTAILS AND SAWFLIES, 

 OR THE SUB-ORDER PHYTOPHAGA. 



BY WILLIAM H. ASHMEAD, ASSISTANT CURATOR, DEPARTMENT OF INSECTS, 



U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



(Paper No. 2.) 



Series I. — Xylophaga. 



Familv I. — 0ryssid.«. 



This group was recognized as a sub-family by Newman as early as 

 1834, and as a distinct family by Haliday in 1839. It is represented at 

 present by a single genus, Oryssns, Latr., which is apparently the stem 

 from whence some of the parasitic Hymenoptera originated; /. e., the 

 Megalyridse, Stephanida3, etc. 



I have now, however, the pleasure of indicating below another genus, 

 indigenous to Africa, 



• Although comparatively few species are described in the group, it 

 yet appears to be widely distributed, species having been found in North, 

 Central and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Aru, in the Malay 

 Archipelago. 



After I had sent my MS. of this family in for publication, I found that 

 Mr. F. W. Konow, in his paper entitled " Systematische und Kritische 

 Bearbeitung der Siriciden — Tribus Oryssini,"* which I had not seen, had 

 already given a revision of the genera. In this valuable contribution, 

 Konow recognized four genera, three of which were here described for 

 the first time. One of these, Chalinus, I had also indicated as new in 

 my table under the name of Chrysorysstis, based upon a specimen of 

 Oryssus imperialism Westwood, in the National Museum, taken by Mr. 

 Rolla P. Currie, March, 1897, at Mount Coffee, Liberia, Africa. It is 

 one of the most brilliant of phytophagous insects, resembling in its metallic 

 green colour many of the Chrysids. 



The genera Ophrynopus and Mocsarya are unknown to me ; the 

 former occurs in Mexico, South America, and Aru, the latter being repre- 

 sented by a single species, M. metallica, Moes.; from Sambawa, Sunda 

 Island. 



The four genera recognized by Konow may be easily distinguished 

 by the aid of the following table : 



Table of Genera. 



Face without carinse ; body not metallic 4. 



Face with 2-4 carinae ; body usually metallic 2. 



* Termeszetrajzi Fiizetek, elc, XX., 1S97, p. 602. 



