STUDIES IN THE WOODWASP SUPERFAIIILY ORYS- 

 SOIDEA, WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW SPECIES. 



By S. A. RoHWER, 



Of the Bureau of Entomology , United States Department of Agriculture. 



INTRODUCTION. 



In arranging the collection of Oryssidse, of the United States 

 National Museum and the branch of forest insects, Bureau of Ento- 

 mology, a few apparently new species were encountered. In describ- 

 ing these insects it was deemed advisable to bring together all the 

 available information concerning the habits and to present such sys- 

 tematic notes as were necessary. The following paper can only be 

 treated as a preliminary outline and will have to be revised when 

 more material is available and more definite information has been 

 secured. 



This paper is a contribution from the branch of forest insects of 



the Bureau of Entomology of the United States Department of 



Agriculture. 



HABITS. 



Very little is known about the habits of the Oryssidas. The adults 

 are very active, and are found on posts and near the wood of dead 

 trees. They have been found on trunks of coniferous trees, on maple 

 trees, on timber, and on various posts. They are active, and run 

 and jump or fly short distances, reminding one of certain Chalcid 

 flies. Very little definite information can be obtained about the 

 larvae, although it is generally believed that they are internal feeders 

 in wood. It has even been suggested * that the insects are parasitic, 

 but this has not been proven. Nothing has been published concern- 

 ing the larvae of the American species, except an apparently errone- 

 ous statement by Glover (1877) in which it is stated that " the larvae 

 bore in the wood of the willow." More has been published concern- 

 ing the European species. Wachtl (1882) bred Oryssus ahientinus 

 from Alnus incana at the same time that he bred the beetle Dicerca 

 alni. Rudow (1909) says that the same species occurs solitary on 



I Harrington, 1893, p. 151. 



Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. 43— No. 1925. 



141 



