456 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol.88 



ORASEMA WHEELERI Wheeler 



Ora^ema wlieeleri Wheelek, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. 23, p. 14, 1907. 

 Orasema viridis Wheelee (not Ashmead), Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. 23, 

 pp. 2-12, 1907. 



According to Wheeler, a single female that he collected at Fort 

 Davis, Tex., July 14, 1902, in a nest of Pheidole ceres Wlieeler was 

 submitted to Ashmead for identification. Ashmead identified it as 

 a new species, which he proposed to call wheeleri but never published 

 the name. In 1907 Wheeler published a short account of the species 

 in which he compared it wdth viridis^ and he is therefore responsible 

 for the name. Wheeler's description consists merely of the following 

 statements: "It measures 2.7 mm. and closely resembles O. viridis, 

 especially in the shape of scutellum and epinotum but the thorax 

 is broader and stouter. The last pupal envelope, like that of viridis, 

 is without pustules, though it has strong intersegemental welts in the 

 abdominal region." 



The U. S. National Museum possesses one female specimen, which 

 according to the labels was taken by W. M. Wlieeler at Fort Davis, 

 Tex., June 11, 1902, in the nest of Pheidole carhonaria Pergande. 

 This specimen bears the name label in Aslunead's handwriting and is 

 believed to be the specimen referred to by Wlieeler despite the dis- 

 crepancies in the date and host. Wlieeler states definitely that only 

 one adult, and that a female, was secured. The discrepancy in date 

 may perhaps be accounted for by assuming that the date on the 

 specimen is that on which it was collected as a pupa, while the date 

 used by Wlieeler was the date of appearance of the adult. The dif- 

 ference between the host label and Wheeler's statement regarding the 

 host may represent a revised identification of the host material. 



This supposed type specimen seems not to be distinguishable from 

 two small series of specimens identified by Ashmead as O. viridis 

 and believed to be representatives of the material upon wdiich 

 Wheeler based his remarks concerning the species viridis in the above- 

 cited article. One of these series, comprising seven specimens, labeled 

 simply Austin, Tex., is believed to be the material that Wlieeler 

 states was identified for him by Ashmead as O. viridis and that 

 formed the basis, in part at least, for his account of the habits of 

 viridis. The other series of four specimens is from San Diego, Tex., 

 and is probably the material collected by E. A. Schwarz and errone- 

 ously referred to by Wheeler as having been the basis of the original 

 description of viridis. The supposed type specimen is less strongly 

 bluish green than most of the specimens constituting the two series 

 referred to, its prescutum, scutellum, and axillae being dull aeneous, 

 but there appear to be no structural differences of any kind, and, 

 since at least one or two of the San Diego specimens are very nearly 



