NO. 1206. ICHNEUMON FLIES— ASHMEAD. 149 



the spiracles placed much before the middle. In the typical forms 

 {SpatJilus) the front wings have three distinct cubital cells, the hind 

 wings with a recurrent nervure and a complete submedian cell, which 

 is a little shorter than half the length of the median cell. 

 Only two genera are known, separable as follows: 



TABLE OF GENERA. 



Head transverse-quadrate 2 



Head quadrate or cubical. 



Second cubital- cell much longer than first; recurrent nervure received by the 



second cubital cell at its lower hind angle (ll-'^'l) Sputhius Nees. 



2. Second cubital cell shorter than the first; recurrent nervure interstitial with 

 tlie first transverse cubitus ( 1135 ) Psenobolus Reinhard. 



Family LXXIX. STEPHANID^. 



1815. Stephanida 'LEAcn, Edinb. Encyclop., IX, p. 142. 



1839. Stephanida', Family 7, Haliday, Hym. Syn., p. ii. 



1840. Stephanidse Shuckakd (part), Newman's Entom., I, p. 119. 

 1840. Megalyrida: SuucKARD (part), Newman's Entom., I, p. 119. 

 1887. Stephanidie Cresson, Syn. Hym. North America, p. 52. 



1900. Stephanidx, Family LXXIX, Ashmead, Smith's Insects of New Jersey, 

 p. 597. 



In this famil}' the costal cell in the front wings is distinct, as in the 

 EvaniidcB and in the aculeate Hymenoptera, and this character readil}" 

 distinguishes the family from the IchnewmonidcB^ the Alysiidce and the 

 Braconidce. From the Evaniidm it is separated by the abdomen, 

 which is attached normally, as in the IcJmemnojildce. Its other charac- 

 ters are peculiar: The head is most frequently globose, rugose, and 

 tuberculous; the mandibles are protruding and form a kind of mouth 

 opening, similar to some Braconids; the antennae are long and slender 

 and inserted far anteriorly, close to the clypeus, the scape subglose; 

 the prothorax is rather long and narrowed into a neck anteriorly; the 

 front wings have only one recurrent nervure and have a venation, 

 except in having a distinct costal cell ver}^ similar to many of the 

 Braconids, the hind wings most frequently being withm.it distinct 

 basal cells; the abdomen is elongate, the ovipositor being long; while 

 the hind legs are robust, the coxai large and long, nearly as long as 

 their femora, which is considerably swollen and most frequently armed 

 with a tooth or teeth beneath. 



The cephalic and venational characters of this curious group recall 

 those to be found in the family Oryssidce^ and I can not help but think 

 the two families, in ages past, had a common ancestry. 



TABLE OK genera. 



Hind wings witJiovt basal cells 2 



Hind wings ?/;('/ /y basal cells. 



Abdomen sessile, the first segment not longer tlian the second; posterior tarsi in 

 l)oth sexes normal, unarmed. 



