934 AN INTRODUCTION TO ENTOMOLOGY 



and other insects. Some species of Platygaster are poly embryonic. 

 For a revision of the Platygasterinse see Fonts, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 

 1924, vol. 64, art. 15, 145 pages. 



SUPERFAMILY CYNIPOIDEA 



The Cynipids 



Most members of this superfamily are small insects and many of 

 them are minute; for this reason they are not commonly observed; 

 but the galls produced by some species, especially those that are 

 found on oaks and roses, are very familiar objects. Not all cynipids, 

 however, produce galls ; some are parasites and others are inquilines, 

 living in galls produced by other species. 



The antennae of the cynipids are not elbowed and only rarely 

 composed of more than sixteen segments ; the pronotimi is produced 



on each side so as to reach the tegula 

 or is separated from it only by a 

 membranous area ; the wings lack a 

 stigma and have at most five closed 

 cells ; the wings are rarely wanting ; 

 the abdomen is strongly compressed. 

 In most genera the tergites of the 

 basal abdominal segments differ 

 greatly in length ; in some the sec- 

 ond is half as long as the entire ab- 

 domen (Fig. 1 1 60). 



For papers on the classification 



of the Cynipoidea see Ashmead ('03) 



Fig. 1160.— Amphibolips. and Dalla Torre and Kieffer ('02 



and '10). Dalla Torre and Kieffer 



recognize only a single family of cynipids, the Cynipidae; this they 



divide into ten subfamilies, seven of which are represented in our 



fauna. 



These are the Ibaliina^, Anacharitinae, Aspicerinas, Figitinas, Euco- 

 ilinae, Charipinae, and Cynipiuce. The first six of these subfamilies 

 include comparatively few species. These are parasitic, infesting 

 chiefly dipterous larvag and aphids. The last subfamily, the Cyni- 

 pinas merits a more detailed discussion. 



Subfamily CYNIPIN^ 



This subfamily is composed of the gall-flies or gall-wasps as they 

 are termed by some writers. Most of the species cause the growth of 

 galls on plants, but some species, the guest gall-flies, are inquilines 

 living in galls produced by other species. 



Although these insects are known as the gall-flies it should be 

 remembered that galls are produced by many insects that do not 

 belong to this subfamily. Galls made by plant -lice, flies, and moths 



