368 U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 216 



ences are by no means clear-cut. Certainly those specimens reared 

 from N. tsugae, and often those from N. abietis, can be recognized in 

 Nearctic material of japonica. In this connection the several hun- 

 dred reared specimens from Canada helped immeasurably. The 

 specimens reared from N. tsugae not only are usually smaller but have 

 an ovipositor that often appears more delicate, with the apical ridges 

 less apparent, and is somewhat paler in color. Other differences 

 often noted are: Face longer in proportion to width and sometimes 

 less punctate in central area; wing veins as well as ovipositor gen- 

 erally paler in color; hind tibiae usually with more white. It must 

 be stressed, however, that an}'' of the above variations can be found 

 in specimens reared from Diprion spp. but with less frequency. 

 Here, again, the percentage of occurrence might be greater if a larger 

 number of specimens reared from Diprion spp. were available. 



A biological study involving the rearing of this species from the 

 several hosts belonging to one genus and then rearing the progeny 

 from hosts belonging to the other genus might solve the taxonomic 

 problem. Until such a study is made, it seems best to assume that 

 there is only one species with host-associated variation. 



R. A. Cushman, in his description of japonica, mentioned a possible 

 relationship to D. laevis (Gravenhorst) which he knew only by de- 

 scription but which he considered distinct. The two specimens of 

 laevis I have seen (one identified by G. Heinrich and the other by 

 J. F. Perkins) differ from japonica in possessing a much longer ovi- 

 positor (about three-fourths the length of the abdomen), and almost 

 unicolorous reddish legs, with only the hind tibiae and tarsi and last 

 tarsal segment of middle and front legs slightly darker. 



Distribution: Japan; Alaska; Canada: Alberta, British Columbia, 

 Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Northwest Territories, On- 

 tario, Quebec, Yukon Territory; United States: California (moun- 

 tainous areas), Connecticut, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New 

 Hampshire, New Jersey (Moorestown), New York, North Carolina 

 (mountainous areas), Oregon, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin. 



Hosts : Diprion nipponicus Rohwer (in Japan) ; D. hercyniae 

 (Hartig) ; D. similis (Hartig) ; D. frutetorum (Fabricius) ; Neodiprion 

 abietis (Harris) complex; N. tsugae Middleton; Neodiprion sp. or spp. 



4. Delomerista lepteces Walkley, new species 



Figure 313,1 



This species belongs to the novita group and is easily distinguished 

 from other species in the group by the very slender ovipositor with 

 its tenuous apical portion. This character is the reason for the name 

 lepteces. The blackish apical third of the hind femur is another iden- 



