16 PROCEEDIiSrGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. 6.1. 



first intercubitus ; the body coloring of the male is generally darker; 

 the propectus is often more or less blackish, and the mesonotal lobes 

 are frequently infuscated, while the first abdominal tergite is nearly 

 always wholly black or blackish and the apical abdominal segments 

 are often dark. The fuscous or blackish markings are usually much 

 less pronounced in the female or are wholly wanting. 



Distribution. — Evidently distributed over the entire United States 

 and much of Canada. One of our commonest species, especially in 

 the eastern part of the country. I have seen material from the fol- 

 lowing States and Provinces: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode 

 Island, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, 

 North Carolina, Michigan, Colorado, Oregon, Quebec, Ontario, 

 British Columbia. 



Hosts. — Since other species of Meteorus, especially hypJiantriae, 

 have so often been determined as communis and the host records 

 published as those of communis, I have considered it unwise to 

 accept any of these records. The following list of hosts is taken from 

 the labels on specimens of communis which I have examined : Eadena 

 procincta Grote; Graptolitha laticinerea Grote; Graptolitha, species; 

 Cirphis unipuncta Haworth; Malacosoma americana Fabricius. 



Several hundred specimens, from numerous localities, have been 

 studied in the course of the determination of the limits of this species. 

 This material was from the following collections: That of the United 

 States National Museum; Cornell University; the Boston Society of 

 Natural History; that of Doctor Brues of Harvard University; 

 that of Mr. Banks of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, 

 Massachusetts; and the collection at the gypsy moth laboratory, at 

 Melrose Highlands, Massachusetts. 



7. METEORUS INDAGATOR (RUey). 



Perilitus indagator Eiljy, 4th Ann. Rpt. Ina. Missouri, 1872, p. 43. 

 Meteorus indagator Riley, Cresson, Synops. Hymen. N. Amer., 1887, p. 229. 

 Meteorus campestris Viereck, Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci., vol. 19, 1905, p. 281. 



Type. — In the United States National Museum; the type of cam- 

 pestris is in the University of Kansas collection. 



Very similar to loxostegei Viereck; but distinguished from that 

 species by the characters given in the key. The ovipositor sheaths 

 are noticeably longer than in loxostegei, being nearly as long as the 

 abdomen; the mesopleura are usually more smooth and polished, 

 with only a longitudinal crenulate furrow; and the ventral margins 

 of the first tergite almost or quite touch, v/hile they are distinctly 

 separated in loxostegei. The first tergite, especially on the post- 

 petiole, is finely granularly roughened between the longitudinal 

 striae, which are usually not prominent; this type of sculpturing is 

 found also in loxostegei. The face, especially in the female is notice- 

 ably narrower in indagator, the eyes being very large. 



