PROCEEDINGS OF THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



hy the 



SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 



U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Vol. 94 Washington: 1943 No. 3173 



HEVISIOlSrS OF TWO GENERA OF CHALCID-FLIES BE- 

 LONGING TO THE FAMILY EUPELMIDAE FROM NORTH 

 AND SOUTH AMERICA 



By A. B. Gahan 



The family Eupelmidae contains some of the most interesting 

 forms to be found in the Chalcidoidea. Only a comparatively small 

 number of the species belonging to the group have yet been described 

 notwithstanding the fact that many of them are associated, either as 

 primary or secondary parasites, with important insect pests of agri- 

 culture. The two genera AraeJinophaga and Encyi^taspis each con- 

 tain species associated with such pests and therefore are of some eco- 

 nomic interest, although it is probable that they are secondary para- 

 sites oftener than primary ones and hence oftener harmful than 

 beneficial. 



Family EUPELMIDAE 



Genus ARACHNOPHAGA Ashmead 



Arachnophaga Ashmead, Proc. Eat. Soc. Washington, vol. 4, pp. 9, 10, 18, 1896. 



Arachnophaga can be distinguished from Encyrtaspis Ashmead 

 only by the fact that the female does not have a tuft or pencil of long 

 black hairs on the middle of the scutellum and that the hind tibia, 

 altliough more or less strongly compressed, is not so broad as in 

 Encyrtaspis and its posterior margin never has a white border. 

 Males of the two genera are apparently indistinguishable. It is also 

 very similar to Aimstatus Motschulsky, differing principally in that 

 the head as viewed from in front is somewhat more elongate; the 

 anterior extremity of the frons forms a more or less distinct, often 



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