THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 199 



CLASSIFICATION OF THE FOSSORIAL, PREDACEOUS AND 



PARASITIC WASPS, OR THE SUPERFAMILY 



VESPOIDEA. 



BY WILLIAM H. ASHMEAD, A. M., SC. D., ASSISTANT CURATOR, DIVISION 

 OF INSECTS, U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



(Paper No. 15.— Continued from Vol. XXXV., p. 158.) 

 Family XLI. — Myrmosidae. 



1899. Myrmosidse, Family, Ashmead ; Journ. N. Y. Ent. Soc, 

 VII., p. 49 and 52. 



1903. MullidcC, Famille (partim)^ Andre; Wytsman's Gen. Ins. 

 Fam. Mutillidpe. 



This family, as here defined, is, I think, a ?iaiural one, although some 

 of the genera have been placed previously, by different authors, in other 

 families, with the Scoliidce, Myzinidce^ Muiillidce, etc. 



The females in this family may always be easily recognized by the 

 thorax, which is distinctly divided into two parts, while the males, except 

 in three or four cases, are easily distinguished by the genitalia, the 

 hypopygium terminating in a sharp aculeus, which curves upwards, as in 

 males in the family Myzinidce, with which they are often confused. 



The males belonging to the genera Myrmosa, Latreille; Ephutomma, 

 Ashmead, and Myrmosida, Smith, have, however, the hypopygium 

 unarmed, while in the South American genus, Bradynobicnus, Spinola, it 

 is tridentate, as in some Thyimidce. 



The venation of the front wings in all of these genera is, however, 

 distinctive, and no difficulty will attend their recognition, as besides 

 venation there are other character.s. 



The genus Mynnosida, Smith, I know only frum the description and 

 figure ; it appears to approach nearest to Apterogyna, Latreille, although 

 the hypopygium is apparently unarmed. It also resembles a male ant of 

 the family Poneridce, and particularly to males in the subfamily 

 Pseudomyrmince ; if it is not an ant, then it is a Myrmosid, and it is 

 placed in the subfamily Apterogyninx provisionally. 



Three distinct subfamilies may be recognized, one, the Apterogyn- 

 i/ue, first pointed out by Mr. Ernest Andre, as follows : 



Table of Subfamilies. 

 Abdomen normal, without a constriction between segments 2 and 3, 

 at most with a constriction between segments i and 2 2, 



