10 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL 3IUSEUM vol.xxiii. 



Family LXXVI. ICHNEUMONID^E. 



1815. Ichneumonida Leach (part), Edinb. EncycL, IX, p. 142. 



1837. Parasitica Hartig (part), Wiegmann's Archiv., I, p. 158. 



1838. Ichneumonidtv, Family II, Haliday, Entom. Mag., V, p. 4. 



1840. Ichneumonida', Family III, Westwood, Intro. Mod. Clags., Ins., II, p. 83. 

 1900. Ichneuinonidiv, Family LXXVI, Ashmead, Smith's Insects of Xew Jersey. 



This family i.s readily disting-iushed from the EiHoukke and the Ste- 

 p/af/u'dce by the absence of a distinct costal cell in the front wings, 

 the costal and subcostal veins being parallel and extending close 

 together, side by side, to the stigma; by the abdomen being attached 

 normally, not high up on the dorsum of the metathorax, and bj^ the 

 venation of the hind wings. From the AlysiidcB it is separated by 

 the normally attached mandibles, as well as by palpial characters, 

 while from the BraconkJie it is separated by the venation of the front 

 wings, having, except in a single case, two recurrent nervures, whereas 

 the Braconldce have none or only one. The first cubital and the first 

 discoidal cells are also always confluent, not distinctly separated as in 

 the normal wings of a Braconid, and also by the usually longer abdo- 

 men and by the flexibility of the first and second segments, which in 

 the BraconldtB are rigid, connate, or not at all flexible, except in the 

 subfamily Aphidiin <:e. 



The family Irhne>uno)iid<:B may be divided first into five major groups, 

 called subfamilies, as follows: 



TABLE OF SUBFAMILIES. 



First abdominal segment straight, not elbowed, most frequently sessile or subsessile, 

 more rarely petiolate, its spiracles usually placed at or before the middle, 

 more rarely somewhat behind the middle; in the latter case the abdomen 

 is compressed; if petiolate, the petiole is usually abruptly enlarged at 

 apex, the spiracles being closer to each other than to the apical margin 

 ( very rarely widely separated ) 2 



Firj^t alxlominal segment petiolate, not straight, or very rarely, but depressed, curved, 

 bent, or elbowed, and most frequently widened at the apical third, its 

 spiracles placed always beyond the middle or between the middle and 

 the apex; areolet in front wings usually pentagonal or small quadrate, 

 rarely deltoid, petiolate, or rhomboidal, although often absent. 

 Mesosternum not separated from the mesopleura by a grooved line or furrow; 

 spiracles of first abdominal segment wider from each other than to the 

 apex of the segment; ovipositor hidden or at most subexserted; areolet 

 of front wings pentagonal, rarely deltoidal or rhomboidal, or incomplete; 



no apterous forms Subfamily I. ichneumonix.e. 



Mesosternum separated from the mesopleura by a grooved line or furrow; 

 spiracles of first abdominal segment nearer to each other than to the 

 apex of the segment; ovipositor asserted, prominent, rarely very short; 

 areolet of front wings pentagonal or small quadrate, often incomplete 

 or wanting; apterous and subapterous forms common. 



Subfamily II. cryptix.e. 



2. Abdomen usually depressed and sessile, never strongly compressed, although 



sometimes compressed toward apex, more rarely petiolate; spiracles of 



