922 AN INTRODUCTION TO ENTOMOLOGY 



Although the family Pelecinidac is believed to be allied to the pre- 

 ceding families of the Proctotrupoidea it forms a quite distinct di- 

 vision of this superfamily. 



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 antennas of the cynipids are not elbowed and only rarely 

 composed of more than sixteen segments ; the pronotum 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 Cynipidas; this they 

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

 fauna. 



These are the Ibaliinas, Anacharitinae, Aspicerinas, Figitinee, Euco- 

 ilinas, Charipinas, and Cynipinas. The first six of these subfamilies 

 include comparatively few species. These are parasitic, infesting 

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

 pinffi 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 



