362 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 99 



United States National Museum at Washington, D. C. The loca- 

 tions of specimens in institutional collections are indicated (in paren- 

 theses) by the name of the city in which they are stored or, in private 

 collections, by the name of the owner. 



KEY TO THE NEARCTIC GENERA OF STEPHANIDAE 



First nbdouiinal teriiite about 2.") as long as wide, not fused with its sternite ; 

 hind wing with nervellus ; hind femur with three larger teeth beneath; hind 

 tarsus of female with five segments; eighth tergite of female with a median 

 apical point. (See pi. 25, fig. 1) Schlettererius 



First abdominal tergite at least 4.0 as long as wide, fused with its sternite; 

 hind wing without nervellus ; hind femur with two larger teeth beneath (apical 

 tooth often subdivided) ; hind tarsus of female with three segments; eighth 

 tergite of female (of Nearctic species) without a median apical point. (See 

 pi. 25, fig. 2) Megischus 



Genus SCHLETTERERIUS Ashmead 



Plate 25, Figure 1 



Schlettererius Ashmead, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 23, p. 20, 1900. Type: 

 Stephanus cinctipes Cresson. Monobasic. 



The free first abdominal sternite and exceptionally complete vena- 

 tion mark this genus as the most primitive of the family. The 5-seg- 

 mented hind tarsus of the female, three teeth on the under side of 

 the hind femur, and several venational features indicate rather close 

 relation to Stephanus^ a monotypic genus of Europe. 



Schlettererius contains only the species below. Stephanus ruflpes 

 Say has been referred to Schletterenus^ but it belongs in the Bracon- 

 idae, as evidenced by the following characters in Say's description: 

 Abdomen sessile, the petiole not visible; thorax not remarkably 

 attenuate before ; propodeum with two slightly elevated, longitudinal, 

 distant lines; stigma large, triangular, and fuscous; length 5 mm. 

 Say placed the species in Stephanus largely on similarity of wing 

 venation with Jurine's figure of Stephanus serrator. It has never 

 been correctly identified since it was first described. 



SCHLETTERERIUS CINCTIPES (Cresson) 



Plate 25, Figuke 1 



Stephanas cinctipes Cbesson, Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc, vol. 8, proc. xviii, 1880. 

 Type: $, Washington Territory (Philadelphia). 



Forewing of male 8-13 mm. long, of female 8-16 mm. long ; oviposi- 

 tor sheath about 2.0 as long as the body. Easily distinguished by the 

 characters pointed out in the key to genera. See plate 25, figure 1 

 for an illustration. 



