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PARASITIC WASPS 



C. — Family Braconidae. 



(Braconids.) 



Characteristics (i). — The abdomen is not so mo- 

 bile as in ichneumons; (2) the antennae are not 

 elbowed, and have more than 15 joints; (3) the wing 

 differs from the ichneumons, in having the second 

 space of the posterior or outer end of the wing, 

 counting from the lower part of the wing, not 

 divided into two cells by a transverse veinlet. (Plate 

 16, Fig. 5.) 



These wasps can be seen by keeping "woolly 

 bear" caterpillars in a box and the parasites may be 

 reared out in many cases. The common type is 

 Microgaster, a tiny dark wasp, the female with a 

 long ovipositor, to enable it to reach down through 

 the hairs to the body of the caterpillar. The 

 larvae (very tiny legless grubs) hatch out, and 

 when full grown are only about one-third of an 

 inch in length. As many as 50 to 80 eggs are laid 

 in one caterpillar, according to the size. The 



grubs hatch out and feed on the juices of the vic- 

 tim either by sucking or by absorbing through 

 the whole body. They do not injure any vital part 

 while this is going on, and when at last the brood 

 of parasites is reared at the expense of the victirn. 



