Superfamily CHALCIDOIDEA 863 



Genus METADONTIA Ashmead 



Metadontia Ashmead, 1888. Ent. Amer. 4: 87. No species. —Ashmead, 1904, Carnegie 

 Mus., Mem 1: 252. One species. 



Type-species: S»ticra niontana Ashmead. Desig. by Ashmead, 1904. 

 Plagiosniicm Cameron, 1904. Invertebrata Pacifica 1: 56. 



Type-species: Plagiosmicm ashnieadi Cameron. Monotypic. 

 amoena (Say). Md., s. to Fla., w. to III, Mo., Kans., Ariz., Calif.; Mexico, Cent, and S. Amer. 

 Host: Strynion cecrops (F.), S. nielinus (Hbn.). 

 Chalcis amoena Say, 1836. Boston Jour. Nat. Hist. 1: 270. 

 Sviicra niontana Ashmead, 1887. Amer. Ent. Soc, Trans. 14: 183. 6. 

 Plagiosniicra ashnieadi Cameron, 1904. Invertebrata Pacifica 1: 56. 9. 



Biology: Samuelson, 1961. Pan-Pacific Ent. 37: 190. 



Genus CHALCIS Fabricius 



Clialcis Fabricius, 1789 (1787). Mantissa Insectorum, v. 1, p. 272. 



Type-species: Chalcis stupes Fabricius. Desig. by Latreille, 1810. 

 Swiera Spinola, 1811. Paris Mus. d'Hist. Nat, Ann. 17: 147. 



Type-species: Chalcis sispes Fabricius. Desig. by Ashmead, 1904. 

 Sniicra Spinola, 1837. Mag. ZooL, 7 CI. IX, explan. pi. 180. Emend. 



In the European literature, Chalcis sispes Fabricius is uniformly treated as a synonym of 

 Chalcis mijrifex (Sulzer). The species of Chalcis are parasitic on Stratiomyidae throughout the 

 Holarctic region. The stratiomyid eggs are laid in masses on plants or other objects above the 

 water Hne in aquatic environments such as cattail bogs. The Chalcis adults, despite their rela- 

 tively large size, oviposit in these eggs. When the stratiomyid eggs hatch the larvae migrate into 

 the water. The Chalcis larvae remain inside them until the stratiomyids are fully grown. When 

 the stratiomyids are ready to pupate they migrate to mud banks or other similar sites, above the 

 water line. The Chalcis parasites then quickly complete their development and their adults 

 emerge through round holes they cut in the exuviae of the stratiomyids. 



Revision: Burks, 1940. U. S. Natl. Mus., Proc. 88: 243-260. 



Taxonomy: Gahan and Fagan, 1923. U. S. Natl. Mus., Bui. 124: 31 (Chalcis must be used in 

 the sense oi Sniicra and Sniiera). — Schmitz, 1946. Exploration Pare Natl. Albert, Mission 

 De Witte, fasc. 48: 70-72 (Sniiera should be used for this genus). 

 barbara (Cresson). N. H., Conn., Mass., N. J., Fla., Mich., 111., Iowa, Mo., Ark., N. Dak., Kans., 

 Tex., Wyo., Colo.; Mexico. Host: Odontomyia sp., 0. cincta OHvier, Stratiomys norma 

 Wied. 

 Sniicra barbara Cresson, 1872. Amer. Ent. Soc, Trans. 4: 47. "6" = 9. 

 Sniicra riifofeniorata Cresson, 1872. Amer. Ent. Soc, Trans. 4: 39. S. Preocc. by 

 Rosenhauer, 1856. 



Biology: Hart, 1895. 111. State Lab. Nat. Hist., Bui. 4: 250, 271. 

 canadensis (Cresson). N. B., Ont., N. Y., W. Va., Mich., Wis., 111., La. Host: Hedriodiscus 

 vertebratiis (Say), Odontomyia sp. 

 Sniicra canadensis Cresson, 1872. Amer. Ent. Soc, Trans. 4: 39. S. 



Biology: Judd, 1953. Amer. Midland Nat. 49: 817-819. 

 divisa (Walker). Kans., Okla., Tex., N. Mex., Ariz., Oreg., Calif.; Mexico. 

 Sniiera dirisa Walker, 1861. Jour. Ent. 1: 178. 9, S. 



Morphology: Daly, 1963. Ent. Soc. Amer., Ann. 56: 303. 

 flebilis (Cresson). Maine, Mass., Conn., Ont., N. Y., N. J., Va., Ga., Fla., Mich., 111., Minn. 

 Sniicra Jlebilis Cresson, 1872. Amer. Ent. Soc, Trans. 4: 39. 6. 



lasia Burks. Ariz., Cahf. 



Chalcis lasia Burks, 1940. U. S. Natl. Mus., Proc 88: 248. 9,6. 

 megalomis Burks. Mich., 111., Iowa, Wyo., Colo., Oreg. Host: Stratiomys sp. 

 Chalcis megalomis Burks, 1940. U. S. Natl. Mus., Proc. 88: 250. 9. 



