FAMIIJES OP' PARASITICA. 23 



2. — AiitL'i'ior wings with a distinct and coniiiletc costal iiervuic and a nioro or 

 less developed stigma ; abdomen very rarely ovate or comjjressed ovate. 



generally much longer than thorax :{. 



Anterior wings without a complete costal nervun; and stigma, except in 

 Ibalia which, however, has the abdomen knife-shaped ; abdomen generally 

 ovate or compressed-ovate, rarely cultriform ; ovipositor suhsjiiral ; very 



rarely apterous; chiefly gall-feeding insects CYNIPID^. 



3. — Abdomeu inserted upon the dorsum or near base of metathorax. EVANIID^. 



Abdomen attached to the extremity of the metathorax -1. 



4. — Anterior wings with two recurrent nervures. very rarely with but one, as in 

 Pharsalid in Ichneumouida', which, however, has the abdomen long and 



sickle-shaped o. 



Anterior wings with but one recurrent nervure, very rai'cly without, as in a 



few genera of Aphidiina? in Braconida? 6. 



5.— Costal and subcostal nervures separate and distinct, the costal cell therefore 

 present; first snbmarginal and first discoidal cells sejiaratc and distinct; 



three completely enclosed snbmarginal cells TRIGONALID^. 



Costal and subcostal nervures confluent, the costal cell therefore absent : first 

 snbmarginal and first discoidal cells always confluent ; never more than 

 two completely enclosed subniarginal cells; rarely apterous. 



ICHNEUMONID^. 



6. — Co.stal and subco.stal nervures separate and distinct, the costal cell therefore 



present ; head globose, vertex tuberculate and rugose ; abdomen elongate, 



slender, much longer than head and thorax; ovipositor longer than the 



body; posterior femora swollen and toothed beneath STEPHANID^. 



Costal and subcostal nervures confluent, the costal cell therefore absent : first 

 subnuirginal and first discoidal cells sometimes confluent ; ])osterior femora 



rarely toothed beneath ; rarely apterous BBACONID.^. 



7. — Posterior margin of prothorax not reaching the tegulse; anti'ume always 

 elbowed and nearly always with one or two, very rarely three riug-joiuts 

 between pedicel and funicle ; ovipositor issuing before apex of abdomen ; 



rarely apterous CHALCIDID^. 



Posterior margin of prothorax reaching the tegulse ; antennie elbowed or not 

 elbowed, usually without ring-joints between pedicel and funicle, seldom 

 with one small ring-joint, in which case the antenuse are not elbowed ; 

 ovipositor issuing from apex of abdomen ; rarely apterous. 



PROCTOTRUPID^. 



Tlie iiuouialous family Peleciuidit', containing tlie very curiou:? 

 genus Pelecinus, which is doubtless also para.*itic in its hahits, niav 

 be, for the present, included in this series, although the trochanters 

 have apparently but one joint ; its characters are given at length 

 further on. 



without closed middle cells, but then the stigma and costal nervure are wanting, 

 the antenna} are not elbowed and the ovijiositor issues before tlie apex of the 

 abdomen. 



