ART. 6. STUDIES ON LEUCOSPIDINAE C. J. WELD. 3 



subfamily Leiicospidinae, separating it from Leucospis as follows: 

 " Front coxae very elongate, nearly as long as their femora, the tibiae 

 shorter than the femora ; middle tibiae with a tooth at apex ; hind 

 tibiae curved and acutely produced into a spine at apex." Measure- 

 ments made of five different species of Leucosjyis show the front coxa 

 to vary from 0.66 to nearly 0.90 of the length of the front femur, 

 while the front tibia is almost always shorter than the front femur, 

 and in all cases the middle ti])ia has a spine at its apex (pi. 4, fig. 23). 

 Kriechbaumer in 1894 established the genus Micrapion with M. hili- 

 neatum, an East African species, as the genotype. He based his 

 separation from Leucospis upon the petiolate and pear-shaped abdo- 

 men. Instead of a new genus it seems more probable that Kriech- 

 baumer had a species of Leucospis resembling L. fiillehorniana En- 

 derlein or L. nyassica Enderlein, both of which have slender petio- 

 lated abdomens and are described from the same region. In a recent 

 paper Girault has described three new genera of Leucospidinae from 

 Queensland, Australia. Two of these Exoclaenoides and Parexo- 

 clacnus fall within the genus Leucospis but the third, Epexoclaenoides 

 possesses minute comb-like teeth on the under side of the hind femur, 

 a character quite distinct from anything in the genus Leucospis 

 (pi. 2, fig. 13). Unfortunately no definite idea is given of the shape 

 of the abdomen of Epexoclaenoides. However, from a study made 

 from five specimens in the United States National Museum, all of 

 one species, from Bengal, India, which agree with the generic char- 

 acters of Epexoclaenoides Girault, as far as given in the description 

 of E. hicinctus Girault, it seems quite probable that the abdomen of 

 this new genus is also different from Leucospis being only about 

 twice as long as wide in side view and nearly globular behind the 

 third tergite, as explained in the description of Epexoclaenoides 

 pyrifoT'mis, new species. 



KEY TO THE GENERA OF LEUCOSPIDINAE. 



1 . Vertex with two horn-like processes in front ; posterior margin of head in- 



wardly curved ; third antennal joint shorter than second ; pronotum taper- 

 ing toward front, scutellum heart-shaped. West Africa Marres Walker. 



Vertex without horn-like processes in front; posterior margin of head 

 straight; third antennal segment as long as second, usually longer: 

 pronotum of about equal width throughout; scutellum never heart- 

 shaped 2 



2. Ovipositor limited to underside of abdomen, not even reaching end of same ; 



abdomen more spindle-shaped, not compressed, bulging in middle with 

 median longitudinal furrow toward posterior end of dorsum, apex pointed ; 

 central part of metathorax projecting; hind coxa with strong erect spur 



on upper margin. South America Polistomorpha Westwood. 



Ovipositor not limited to underside of abdomen but reaching partially or 

 entirely around apex and usually reflexed forward over dorsum ; abdomen 

 compressed, apex rounded : hind coxa with or without a spur on upper 

 margin H 



