220 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 1 37 



anchylosis of the femorotibial, tibiotarsal, and intertarsomeral articula- 

 tions ; more or less advanced fusions of thoracic and propodeal nota ; 

 decomposition of the head capsule and pronotum into sclerites sec- 

 ondarily joined one to another, etc.) ; some which are clearly in con- 

 nection, even indirectly, with the special microhabitat where the insects 

 live (tegumental depigmentation ; involution and disappearance of the 

 eyes and ocelli, etc.) ; finally, some which, even in this case, do not 

 seem to have any functional purpose (more or less numerous and large 

 posterior spiniform bristles on the upper region of the head; particu- 

 lar adaptation of the antennae within fossae or really within dorsally 

 open or closed cranial pockets, etc.). 



Besides, the heteromorphic males of some Idarninae sometimes ex- 

 hibit remarkable continuous or discontinuous, megetic and morpho- 

 logical individual variability. 



It is well to remember, too, that Sycophaginae, the females of which, 

 as far as known, penetrate into the fig-host inflorescences to lay eggs, 

 wedging with difficulty like Agaoninae into the phyllomes obstructing 

 the ostiolar canal of the receptacles, are less specialized than the Aga- 

 oninae. These females indeed (we know very little about the males) 

 are rather less modified than Agaoninae and show a very variable 

 structure. 



Furthermore, we may say finally that the behavior of some species 

 proves that a life cycle based on oviposition within the pistillate flowers 

 of Ficus (at least of some Ficus), with the embryonic and postem- 

 bryonic development of the insect within the galls produced by them, 

 may be normally accomplished without occurrence of any modification 

 in the forms which have adapted themselves to living in such a habitat. 



VII. ADULTS OF PARASITIC HYMENOPTERA VESPOIDEA 

 (CHRYSIDIDAE) 



The Chrysididae are Hymenoptera Aculeata that develop at the 

 expense of other Hymenoptera, or less frequently of insects belong- 

 ing to other orders. We know some which are parasites of larvae of 

 Tenthredinidae (Cleptinae) ; some that emerge from eggs of Phas- 

 moidea (Amiseginae) ; and some that live at the expense of Hymen- 

 optera Aculeata and larvae of Lepidoptera (Chrysidinae).^ The 

 females, for oviposition, penetrate into the pedotrophic nests of the 

 victim, opening the cocoon if necessary with their mandibles. Their 

 larvae devour the host larva or the preys stored by the latter for its 

 progeny, or both at the same time. In some cases, however, other 



6 See Krombein, K. V. (1956). 



