82 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol.63. 



Some variation is evident in this species; the notaiili are subject 

 to fluctuation as regards their length and depth; the sculpture and 

 slope of the first tergite varies also; color changes always in the spe- 

 cies of Plaiygaster, so no special mention of such variation is necessary. 



46. PLATYGASTER TEXANA, new species. 



Female. — Length, 1.3 mm. Head about three times as wide as long^ 

 scarcely excavated posteriorly, distinctly wider than the thorax, with 

 rounded exterior angles; head seen from in front triangular, wider 

 than high, evenly convex above; vertex traversed by a few grooves, 

 not acute; interocellar area faintly reticulate, much wider than high; 

 frons shining, faintly reticulately shagreened above on the sides, 

 obliquely striate medially, more strongly so below; antennal process 

 short, rounded apically; mandibles bidentate, the teeth equal; anten- 

 nae slender, the fiagellum about as long as the thorax; pedicel twice 

 as long as wide, as long as joints three and four united, as wide as 

 the seventh; third joint half as long as the fourth, narrower, bell- 

 shaped; fourth joint as long as the fifth, wider; joints seven to nine 

 twice as long as wide, oblong; last joint longer, acuminate; thorax a 

 little less than twice as long as wide, highly convex above, about as 

 high as wide; notauli faintly indicated basally ; mesonotum anteriorly 

 finel}^ reticulate; median lobe of mesonotum narrowly truncated pos- 

 teriorly; scutellum highly convex, polished, sparsely pubescent; mid- 

 dle tarsi about as long as the tibiae; abdomen appro jcimately twice 

 as long as wide (as Avide as the thorax), posteriorly with a slight tail- 

 like effect; second tergite about as wide as long, with a number of 

 foveal striae strongly indicated to the middle of the segment; segments 

 three to six united shorter than the second, polished, eacli traversed 

 by a row of hair punctures; last segment as long as wide, triangular, 

 narrowly rounded apically; wmgs hyaline, reaching to the base of 

 the sixth tergite; black, scape, pedicel, mandibles and legs (except 

 coxae and dilated parts of femora and tibiae) reddish-brown. 



Male. — Length 1 mm. Pedicel twice as long as wide, nearly as 

 long as joints three and four united, as wide as five; joint three very 

 short, button-shaped, narrower than two ; four as long as five but wider, 

 scarcely longer than wide, rounded posteriorly and with the sides 

 parallel; joint^ five to nine subequal, one and one-half times as long 

 as wide, cylindrical; tenth joint acuminate, three times as long as wide; 

 abdomen about as long and as wide as the thorax, approximately 

 twice as long as wide; wings extending the length of the posterior 

 metatarsus past the apex of the abdomen. 



Type locality. — Uvalde, Texas. 



Type. — Cat. No. 25855, U.S. N.M. Paratype in author's collection. 



Described from one female (type) and two males (allotype and 

 paratype) reared by J. C. Hamlin, June 1, 1921, from (?) Dactylopius 

 confusus. 



