ART. 23. BLISTER BEETLE TRICBANIA PARKER AND BOVING. 21 



Bracon and Tentorium, not observed. 



Prothorax, without shield, subtrapezoidal, somewhat shorter than 

 head, anteriorly not wider than head, posteriorly about twice as 

 wide, postero-lateral angles obtuse; presternum not distinct; no hy- 

 popleural chitinizations ; sternal regions simple. 



Meso- and metathorax, same general shape and development as 

 prothorax, but wider; metathorax the widest thoracic segment. 



Legs, inserted widely apart, of ambulatory type, but weak and not 

 fitted for walking, all of about the same medium size ; in the young 

 second instar, about half as long as posterior margin of metathorax, 

 in the full fed and wider larva, proportionally shorter. Coxa free, 

 with length about one-fourth the entire length of the leg, and twice 

 as wide as long. Trochanter well developed, ring-shaped. Femur 

 subcylindrical, about as long as coxa, about one-third as wide as 

 long. Tibia same length as femur, slightly narrower, conico- 

 cylindrical. Tarsus claw-shaped, triangular, somewhat curved, 

 about twice as long as the width at base. 



First to third abdominal segments, subequal in length, each seg- 

 ment as long as one of the thoracic segments,- transverse, subrectan- 

 gular, four times as wide as long; second abdominal segment slightly 

 wider than the two others and also wider than metathorax. Fourth 

 to eighth abdominal segments, of about same individual length as 

 previous segments ; in the young second instar tlie segments decrease 

 gradually but considerably in width, measuring from about as wide 

 as third abdominal segment to one- fourth as wide; but in the full- 

 grown instar the segments decrease less in size, the eighth segment 

 being about half as wide as the third. Ninth and tenth abdominal 

 segments, rather small, about equal in length, and each about half 

 as long as the eighth abdominal segment ; in the young second instar 

 the ninth and tenth segments are about as wide as long, but in the 

 mature instar the ninth and tenth segments are respectively three 

 times and twice as wide as long. 



Anus, terminal. Anal slit rather well developed, vertical and 

 ventrally bifurcate. 



Spiracles, annular, one mesothoracic and eight abdominal ones 

 present. All of about same size, rather small, about as wide as 

 second antennal joint. 



Differentiating characters. — Second instar in all N emognathinae 

 stays in the same bee-cell into which it was carried as first instar and 

 feeds on the honey; it liberates itself completely from the exuvium 

 of first instar. The head capsule, mouthparts, and body are thinly 

 chitinized and rather soft in all genera of the subfamily and pro- 

 thorax is always without prothoracic sliield, but the shape of the 

 bodv varies somewhat, from ovate-fusiform and straiiiht to sub- 



