262 THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



parts are for biting or modified for lapping. There is a very extra- 

 ordinary phenomenon of sex abortion and the development of a sting 

 in the females of certain families, while the phenomena of virgin-birth 

 and the formation of galls are no less wonderful. 



Due to the great specialization of the members, this order is extremely 

 complicated and no attempt at classification will be undertaken here, 

 and only a very few of the families will even be represented. 



TRUE PARASITES. 



Of the beneficial insects, by far the most effective are the true para- 

 sites belonging to the superf amities Ichneiimonoidea, Cynipoidea, Chal- 

 cidoidea and Proctotrypoidea. Not all of the members of these super- 

 families are beneficial. Some prey upon seeds as the seed chalcis and 



Fig. 261. — Soft brown scale (Coccus hes- 



perichim (Linn.), showing exit holes of true 



parasites. (After Quayle. Courtesy Cal. Exp. 

 Sta.) 



many others upon beneficial predaceous and parasitic insects. And not 

 all the true parasites belong to these four superf amities, for as we have 

 seen many dipterous insects are very efficient parasites. In all the 

 superfamilies, except the Iclnwumonoidea, many of which are quite 

 large, the members are usually exceedingly small; a hand lens or 

 microscope being necessary for the study of them. 



The females usually deposit their eggs within, beneath or attached 

 to the outer surface of the host or within the egg, by means of an 

 ovipositor specialized for such purposes. Upon hatching, the young 

 legless larvffi begin feeding upon the l)ody or juices of the host or egg; 



