2 NEW NEOTROPICAL EVANIIDAE (hYMENOPTERA) 



A brief survey of the literature dealing with these parasitie 

 Hymcnoptera, discloses that most of the described species are 

 known from but one or two specimens. Further, that the 

 sexes have noti)een associated, or in the great majority of cases 

 only a single sex is known. There is always the probability 

 that some species now regarded as distinct may eventually be 

 found to be the opposite sex of some other described species. 

 However, in the majority, if not all, of the known cases where 

 males and females are associated, both have many structural 

 points of agreement, the difference being principally in the 

 antennal measurements, shape of the abdomen, etc. In numer- 

 ous, cases, particularly in the genus Hyptia as previously point- 

 ed out by Bradley, the sexes are so similar externally that it 

 is almost impossible to distinguish them without dissecting the 

 specimen. For this reason many previous descriptions are 

 unaccompanied by a statement relative to the sex of the in- 

 dividual under discussion. Familiarity with the l^iology of 

 these archaic insects would no doul)t throw much light on 

 specific limits and sexual dimorphism. Unfortunately the 

 life-histories of but very few of the most common species are 

 known. While the species as a whole are to be regarded as 

 rather rare insects, there is, nevertheless, quite an abundance 

 of species, and more are being added almost every year. Each 

 new collection from the Neotropical, Oriental, Australian 

 and Ethiopian llegions contiimes to produce new si^ecies. 

 Since the rather recent appearance of Kieffer's Monograph^ 

 over fifty species and varieties have been descril)cd. 



No intensive study of the morphology of these insects was 

 made. The terminology employed, with few exceptions, is 

 that commonly used in other works relating to this group of 

 insects. The word metunapleura has been used here to denote 

 the pleural area formed by the fusion of the metathorax and 

 the first abdominal segment or pro])()(leum. In manj^ instances 

 it has been difficult to recognize the limils of these two segments 

 on the lateral aspect, and in describing the scul])turing of this 

 area it has been convenient to refei' to the nvva as a whole. 



^ Evaiiiidae. J. .1. Kicffor. ])as 'llt'ircich — Scliulze. Berlin, H)12. 4;]! pages. 



