1220 Hymenoptera in America North of Mexico 



Revision: Richards, 1939. Roy. Ent. Soc. London, Proc, Ser. B, Taxonomy, 8: 211-223. 



Morphology: Reid, 1941. Roy. Ent. Soc. London, Trans. 91: 412-414, figs. 53-54 (female, male 

 thorax). 



Genus PROBETHYLUS Ashmead 



Probethylus Ashmead, 1902. Canad. Ent. 34: 270. 



Type-species: Probethylus schwarzi Ashmead. Orig. desig. 



Taxonomy: Shetlar, 1973. Ent. News 84: 205-206 (generic redescription, key to spp.). 



Biology: Callan, 1939. Roy. Ent. Soc. London, Proc, Ser. B, Taxonomy, 8: 223-224 

 (Probethylus callani Rich, from Trinidad). 

 schwarzi Ashmead. Ariz. 



Probethylus schwarzi Ashmead, 1902. Canad. Ent. 34: 270. S. 



Taxonomy: Shetlar, 1973. Ent. News 84: 206-208, figs. 1-4 (redescription male, female). 



Biology: Shetlar, 1973. Ent. News 84: 208, fig. 5 (host, life history). 



Family CHRYSIDIDAE 



The cuckoo or ruby-tailed wasps constitute one of the most attractive families of Hymenop- 

 tera because of their brilliantly metallic coloration. Almost all of our species are either purple, 

 blue or green, but many Palaearctic species are marked also with golden or ruby in specific pat- 

 terns. 



The behavior and life history also make this a very fascinating group. All species are parasitic, 

 and, as one common name implies, many of them exhibit behavior in the host nests similar to 

 that of cuckoos in the nests of their bird hosts. Members of the small subfamilies Cleptinae and 

 Amiseginae parasitize, respectively, the resting larvae of sawflies in their cocoons and eggs of 

 walking sticks. Almost all species belonging to the Elampinae, Chrysididinae and Parnopinae 

 have as their hosts solitary wasps or bees which nest in the ground or in cavities in wood or 

 which build mud cells; one exotic species of Chrysis L. is known to parasitize the resting larva of 

 the oriental moth in its cocoon. The parasite egg is deposited in the host cell while it is being 

 provisioned by the mother wasp or bee. In most species the newly hatched chrysidid larva 

 devours the host egg or young larva and then feeds on the provisions stored for the host. How- 

 ever, in species of Chrysura Dahlb. the parasite larva attaches to the host larva, sucks only a 

 small amount of body fluids, and does not devour the host larva until the latter attains full 

 growth and spins its cocoon. Eggs of Pamopes Latr. and Chrysis pellucidula Aar. are deposited 

 in the host nest while the host wasp is provisioning; these parasite larvae also devour the rest- 

 ing host larva in its cocoon. The female of Chrysis fuscipennis Br. chews a hole in the host mud 

 cell, oviposits therein, and the parasite larva develops on the resting larva of the host. 



The arrangement of genera in the Chrysididinae and division into Species Groups in Chrysis 

 Linnaeus are by R. M. Bohart who also contributed new synonymy and distribution in both the 

 Chrysididinae and Elampinae. 



Subfamily CLEPTINAE 



So far as is known, members of this subfamily are parasitic on resting larvae of sawflies in 

 their cocoons. 



Revision: Aaron, 1885. Amer. Ent. Soc, Trans. 12: 209-248 (No. Amer. spp.). — Mocsary, 1889. 

 Monog. Chrysid., 643 pp. (spp. of world). —Ashmead, 1902. Canad. Ent. 34: 221-231 (gen.). 

 — Bischoff, 1913. Gen. Ins., Fasc. 151, 86 pp., 5 pis. — Linsenmaier, 1959. Schweiz. Ent. 

 Ges., Mitt. 32: 1-232, 711 figs. (European spp.). 



Biology: Krombein, 1958. Amer. Ent. Soc, Trans. 84: 141-168, 2 pis. (spp. of coastal N. C). 

 — Krombein, 1967. Trap-nesting wasps and bees, pp. 437-475, figs. 87, 88, 128-134 (life 

 history of spp. attacking wasps and bees nesting in borings in wood.). 



