riiipii'iioridae. 423 



Fam. LXXIL— RHIPIPHORIDAE. 



Mentani trapezoidal, supported by a gular proeevss; lioula 

 nieinbranoLKs, prominent, Irequently biiobed ; labial palpi 

 o-jointed. 



Maxillae with prominent base, and two lobes, whieli are 

 connate at base, the inner one sometimes atrophied ; maxil- 

 lary palpi 4-jointed, not dilated. 



Head vertical, affixed to the prothorax by a very slender 

 neck, which is entirely contained in the prothorax; vertex 

 usually elevated; eyes large, very finely granulated, except 

 in the first tribe; mandibles not emarginate at tip, entirely 

 corneous, without any membranous border on the inner 

 margin; labrum prominent. 



Antennte 11-jointed (10-jointed in certain females), pecti- 

 nate or flabellatc in the males, frequently serrate in the 

 females. 



Prothorax as large as the elytra at the base, nmch nar- 

 rowed in front, lateral suture wanting (in our genera); coxal 

 cavities large, open behind, confluent. 



Mesosternum short, declivous, separating the coxie; side 

 pieces very wide, attaining the coxa:^; metasternum large; 

 side pieces narrow in the first, wide with large epimera in 

 the other tribes. 



Elytra rarely covering the abdomen, usually narrowed 

 behind, and' dehiscent, sometimes (Myodites) very small; 

 rarely (Rhipidius) wanting in the female, in which case the 

 wings are also wanting, and the body is larviform. 



Abdomen with free segments, variable in n amber. 



Legs generally long; anterior coxlb large, conical, contigu- 

 ous, without trochantin, overlying the middle coxa3, which 

 are transverse or oblique, usually slightly separated, without 

 trochantins; hind coxae transverse, lamellate, contiguous; 

 spurs of tibiae usually distinct; tarsi filiform, anterior and 

 middle ones o-jointed, hind ones 4-jointed; claws pectinate 

 or toothed, rai'cly simple. 



The perfect insects arc found on flowers ; tlio larva; of the 

 second tribe arc known to be; parasitic on llynienopteroiis, and 

 those of the fourtli on Orthopterous insects. 



Four tribes are thus distinj^nished : — 



Elytra as long as the alHlomcn, not doliiscent. Evaniocerini. 



Elytra shorter than tho abdomen ; 



