ART. 16 NEW ICHNEUMON-FLIES — MUESEBECK 9 



Ti/pe.—V.S.^M. No. 428T6, from Nantucket, Mass. 

 One female collected by C. W. Johnson, August 17, 1027. 



Genus SNELLENIUS Westwood 



SiicUenius Westwood, Tijdschr. Eut., vol. 25, p. 19, 1882. (Genotype, Snellenius 

 voUcnlwvenil Westwood.) 



This genus is discussed here in order to place it definitely in the 

 Microgasterinae. Ashmead * assigned it to the Agathidinae (now 

 Braconinae), where Szepligeti^ also placed it, although in his original 

 description Westwood had called attention to the similarity in vena- 

 tion to Microgaster. Both Ashmead and Szepligeti apparently knew 

 Snellenius only from literature. Schulz,^ who had specimens before 

 him, commented on some of the more striking characters but failed 

 to indicate the position of the genus. 



Examination of the genotype, which is in the Hope Museum, 

 Oxford, England, has convinced me that Snellenius is referable to 

 the Microgasterinae, and that within this group it appears most 

 closely related to Micro])Utis Foerster, although the very small head 

 and the carinately margined prepectus suggest a certain affinity with 

 Odontofornica Enderlein (now Fornicia BruUe). In wing venation, 

 in the structure of the abdomen, and in the relatively small posterior 

 coxae and the short tibial spurs, Snelleniu.3 is very similar to Mioro- 

 plitis. In the latter group there is also an approach toward certain 

 thoracic structures found in Snellenius, including the occasional 

 presence of distinct notauli, the very prominent median propodeal 

 carina, and the strongly declivous propodeum. 



The following notes, talcen from the genotype, are j^i'esented to 

 supplement Westwood-s original description and so to contribute 

 toward a clearer understanding of the genus and species : Head very 

 small, transverse; e3^es hairy; antennae strongly compressed, 18- 

 segmented (not 17-segmented as noted by Westwood, who apparently 

 overlooked the very short, mostly concealed pedicel). Thorax stout; 

 prepectus carinately margined; notauli present; middle lobe of 

 mesoscutum flat but somewhat elevated ; a short median keel poster- 

 iorly on mesoscutum; suture between scutum and scutellum broad 

 and deep; scutellum margined laterally, elevated down the middle, 

 impressed either side of this elevation; propodeum with a strong 

 median longitudinal keel and prominent transverse ridges extending 

 laterally from this; dorsal face of propodeum horizontal, the pos- 

 terior face vertical. Abdomen short; first tergite with a long, nar- 

 row, nearly parallel-sided, chitinized plate, and on either side of this 

 with broad membranous margins; posterior coxae not large; spurs 



* Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 23, p. 129, 1900. 

 ^ Genera Insectorutu, fasc. 22, p. 116, 1904. 

 «Zool. Annaleu, vol. 4, p. 62, 1911 (1909>. 



