PARASITICA PROCTOTKUPID^E. 81 



Family PROCTOTRUPIDiE. 



Tliis family is clofjely allied in many respects to the t'lialcididte, 

 i)nt is readily distinguished by the posterior mari^in or angles of the 

 prothorax extending to the teguUie, and the ovipositor issuing from 

 the apex of the abdomen. The species are generally veiy small and 

 are usually shining black or brown in color and have some verv 

 cui'ious forms, exhibiting a singular diversity of structure. Tlie 

 wings are generally almost veiidess, but in some of the subfamilies, 

 e.g. Dryinina-, Embolemina? and Helorime, the marginal, submar- 

 ginal or discoidal cells are often C(jmpletely closed, and in this re- 

 spect closely resemble the neuration of certain Braconida? ; the pos- 

 terior wings are almost always destitute of veins and are distinctly 

 lobed near the base in the Dryinin^e, Emboleminse and most, if not 

 all, of the Bethylinre. The species have been but little studied in 

 this country and consequently only a few have been described. The 

 following tables have been copied from those of Mr. Howard, pub- 

 lished in the thirteenth volume of these Transactions: 



Table of Subfamilies.* 



Posterior wings witli a distinct lobe near base, or, wliere the wiugs of the 9 ^re 



wanting, the anterior feet are fitted for grasping 2. 



Posterior wings not lobed 3. 



2. — Antennae % and 9 with same uuiuber of joints Dryininse. 



Antennse % 10-jointed, 9 13-joiuted Emboleminae. 



3.— Anterior tibiae with two spurs Ceraphroninse 



Anterior tibiaj with one spur 4. 



4. — Mandibles uot toothed Proctotrupinae. 



Mandibles toothed 5. 



o. — Abdomen acutely margined on the sides; antennae arising near the border of 



the mouth 6. 



Abdomen not acutely margined ; antennae arising far above the border of the 



mouth 7. 



6. — Anterior wings with a marginal vein and occasionally also a stigmal ; the 



uuwinged genera without ocelli . ...ScelioninEe. 



Anterior wings without nuirginal and stigmal veins; all the genera with 



ocelli Platygasterinse. 



7. — Posterior wings without trace of a median vein 8. 



Posterior wings with a median vein 9. 



8. — Posterior wings very small, almost linear Myraarinee. 



Posterior wings broader, uot linear Diaprinee. 



* The absence of the subfamily Bethylinae in this table is explained by Mr. 

 Howard, on page 169 of his " Synopsis" referred to above ; since then strenuous 

 etTorts have been made to obtain a copy of Ilaliday's work, from correspondents 

 in Europe, but without success. The genera belonging to this subfamily, how- 

 ever, are characterized below. 



TR.^NS. AMER. KNT. SOC. (11) SUPPL. VOL. 1887. 



