570 BIOLOGY OF CHALCIDID^ HOWARD. 



Upon the families of the Hymenoptera Parasitica many chalcidids 

 are parasitic, I know no case in which a chalcidid is a parasite of a 

 IH'octotrypid, but the instances in wliich they parasitize ichneumouids, 

 braconids, and even members of their own family are very numerous. 

 Even the highest subfamily, Ghalcidinw, contains some hyperparasites. 

 Thus Riley has recorded a species of Spilochalcis reared from the cocoons 

 of the braconid parasite {Meteoriis hypliantria;:) of the fall webworm 

 {Hyphantria cunea) (Bull. 10, Div. of Eut., 2d. ed., p. 57), while Walsh 

 reared /t)'. albifrons from the cocoons of Pe.somachus minimus, supposed 

 to be parasitic on the army worm {Leucania unipuncta). In the Eiiry- 

 tomincc, Eurytoma has been reared from CrypUis and from Microgaster 

 cocoons. In the Eupelniince, Eupelmus has been reared from Isosoma, 

 Apa7iteles, and Meteorus and is probably frequently hyperparasitic in 

 galls. In the Encyytimv, Encyrtus artacew was reared from an ichneu- 

 monized coqooxx o^ Artacepunctistriga. Manj^ pteromaliues are hyper- 

 parasites, while the tetrastichines nearly all have this habit. With the 

 Elasmime, certain species of Elasmus have been reared from the cocoons 

 of Limner ia and Apanteles, ulthongh the majority are probably primary 

 parasites, while with the Elachistinoe there is no doubt that Girro- 

 spihis is usually, if not always, hj^perparasitic. Certain of the ented- 

 onines are also secondary parasites, as, for instance, the forms so 

 commonly reared from the naked pupte of Cratoteclius. The tetrasti- 

 chine genus Melittobia is also parasitic upon Monodontomerus and 

 Leucospis in the cells of bees and wasps, although it also feeds upon the 

 aculeate larvae.* 



The aculeate hymenoptera are also attacked by chalcidids. Leucospis 

 is reared from the cells of O.s'wiiaand Chalicodoma. Species of the tory- 

 mine genus Monodontomerus infest the pupte of Anthopliora and are 

 reared from the cells of Chalicodoma and Osmia in Europe, while in this 

 country they are reared from cells of MeUssodes and Anthophora, as 

 shown by the notes of the Division of Entomology, and from Osmia, as 

 X)roven by Rev. J. L. Zabriskie. A species of the allied genus Diomorus 

 is reared from the cells of Crahro and Stigmtis. With the Eiirytomince, 

 one species is reared from the cells of Prosopis and other pith- digging 

 forms. An Encyrtus has been reared from Eumenes and there is an 

 old record by De Geer of the rearing of Pteromalus from some aculeate. 

 The latter, however, may be a mistake and the ease with which such 

 an error can be made is shown by the fact that specimens of the com- 

 mon Pteromalus puimrum were recently received by Dr. Riley as having 

 been reared from the cells of a mud- wasp. In those cells, however, 

 must have been stored lepidopterous larvsB which were the true hosts 

 of the pteromali. Rearings from the cells of fossorial Hymenoptera 

 are, therefore, apt to be uncertain. The abnormal tetrastichine genus 



* Since this was written specimens of a Melittobia have been received from Mr. A. 

 N. Candeil, Oklahoma, reared from a dipterous puparinm found in a mud-dauber's 

 cell. Tlio puparinm itself was also sent by Mr. Caudell, so there can be no doubt as 

 to the accuracy of the observation, which is one of extreme interest. 



