On Certain Seed-Infesting Chalcis-Flies. 389 



relative length of the segments as seen from the side is shown in 



PI. I, fig. 3- 



Male. — Length, 2.7 mm.; abdomen, 1.2 mm. Differs from the female 

 in having the thorax entirely black (in two specimens only are the 

 pleurae brownish), in the greater amount of black on the head and in 

 the very small amount of brownish on the abdomen. 



Median longitudinal depression of propodeum with a distinct furrow, 

 irregularly rugulose, sometimes with the ridges so arranged as to give 

 a median carina. 



Antennas black with the scape yellowish except distal half above, 

 pedicel below and ring-joint yellowish; the funicle joints pedicellate 

 and distinctly constricted in the middle, clothed with two whorls of 

 long hairs. The first joint of the club is more distinctly separated 

 than the last two. Posterior femora and tibia darker than in the female. 



Petiole much longer than posterior coxae, three-fifths as long as rest 

 of abdomen, finely rugulose with a short median and two lateral carinas 

 at the posterior end. Abdomen seen from the side straight below, 

 highly arched and squarely declivous in front. The relative proportion 

 of the segments as seen from the side are shown in PI. I, fig. 4. 



While the native Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) is 

 badly infested the closely related Japanese form (P. tricuspidata) , so 

 commonly planted about buildings and known to the gardeners as 

 Ampelopsis veitchii, seems to be immune. 



THE SUMAC-SEED CHALCIS 



(Eurytoma rhois Crosby, Can. Ent., XLL, p. 52. 1909) 



In December 1907 the seeds of the Stag-horn Sumac at Taughannock 

 Falls, N. Y., were found infested by a white larva. The seeds were 

 kept indoors during the winter and on June 10 the first adults emerged. 

 They continued to appear until July 15 th when ten were found dead in 

 the cage and one still alive. In regard to the time of emergence of the 

 adults under natural conditions, no observations were made but on 

 June 2 the insect was still in the larval condition. 



The evidence in regard to the vegetable-feeding habits of this insect 

 is not so conclusive as for the preceding species. From a two-year-old 

 seed a dead adult male was dug out, thus showing that the specimens 

 reared in the cage came from the seeds, and as only one kind of larva 

 has been found in the seed it is highly probable that it feeds on the 

 kernel as do the other species. Another member of this genus, Eury- 

 toma schreineri, has recently been found doing considerable damage to 

 plums in Southern Russia. The larvag infest the seed and cause a prema- 

 ture falling of the fruit. 



