242 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I4I 



Edmunds (1954) placed females of Periplaneta americana that were 

 carrying oothecae, into cages with Prosevania; some of the female 

 wasps showed considerable interest in the attached oothecae, but he 

 observed oviposition only into egg cases that had been dropped by the 

 cockroaches. 



Cros (1942) described an interesting reaction that he called "in- 

 stinctive hostility" of the oriental cockroach toward Prosevania. A 

 wasp was placed in a jar in which a cockroach had just deposited its 

 ootheca. The wasp tried to oviposit into the egg case but was upset and 

 pursued by the cockroach. The cockroach placed herself over the 

 ootheca, standing high on her legs, and remained there motionless. 

 The wasp then approached from the rear, slipped under the cockroach, 

 and, unnoticed by the cockroach, climbed on the ootheca and oviposited 

 successfully. 



Development. — In Blatta orientalis: The developmental period was 

 completed in 40-57 days in summer and fall (Cros, 1942). Time from 

 oviposition to emergence of adult varied from 45-177 days; three 

 parthenotes from an oviposition by an unfertilized female wasp de- 

 veloped in 45-53 days (Edmunds, 1954). In Blattella germanica: 

 Almost 4 weeks spent in development (Fahringer, 1922). In Peri- 

 planeta americana: Three wasps developed in 127 days (Edmunds, 

 1952). Only one parasite develops in each ootheca. There were three 

 generations a year in Ohio. (Edmunds, 1954.) In Algeria there were 

 two to three generations per year. The adult emerged from the 

 ootheca through a hole 4 mm. in diameter. (Cros, 1942.) Partheno- 

 genesis exists; the unfertilized eggs produced only males (Edmunds, 



1954). 



Distribution. — Eastern U.S.A., from New York and Ohio south to 

 Georgia (Townes, 1949). Europe, Syria, Palestine (Kieffer, 1920). 



Szepligetella sericea (Cameron) 



Synonymy. — Evania sericea Cameron [Townes, 1949, personal 

 communication, 1956]. Evania impressa Schletterer [Townes, p. c, 

 1956]. 



Natural hosts. — Cutilia soror and Neostylopyga rhombifolia, Ha- 

 waii (Swezey, 1929). 



Periplaneta americana and Periplaneta australasiae, Hawaii 

 (Swezey, 1929; Zimmerman, 1948). 



Periplaneta sp., Fiji (Lever, 1943, 1946). 



Adults are sometimes found resting on leaves covered with honey 

 dew (Williams et al., 1931). 



