BIOTIC ASSOCIATIONS OF COCKROACHES — ROTH & WILLIS 243 



Zeuzevania splendidula Costa 



Natural hosts. — Loboptera decipiens, France (Lavagne, 1914; 

 Genieys, 1924). 



Picard (1913) believed that Z. splendidula parasitized L. decipiens 

 and not its eggs; however, Lavagne (1914) explained the true re- 

 lationship by dissecting two specimens of Z. splendidula from oothecae 

 of L. decipiens. 



The following information is taken from Genieys (1924) : Ovi- 

 position. — Wasp ^gg is introduced into the still-soft o5theca before the 

 wall hardens. Some oothecae had four oviposition scars but never 

 contained more than two parasite eggs. Development. — Larva com- 

 mences development in July or August. Only one larva completes 

 development, but it eats all the eggs in the ootheca. The wasp passes 

 the winter as a last instar larva and pupates in the spring ; the adult 

 emerges during the spring or in June. Hyper parasitism. — About 10 

 percent of the oothecae of Loboptera decipiens that were parasitized 

 by Z. splendidula were also hyperparasitized by an eulophid (see 

 Syntomosphyrum ischnopterae, p. 249), 



Family CLEONYMIDAE 

 Agamerion metallica Girault 



Natural hosts. — Ellipsidion australe, Australia, Queensland (Dodd, 

 191 7) : "the parasite when ready to emerge fully occupies the whole 

 space of the destroyed eggs." 



Cockroach, Australia, New South Wales (Dr. B. D. Girault, 

 1915a). 



Family ENCYRTIDAE 

 Blatticida pulchra Ashmead 



Natural host. — Cockroach eggs on orange leaves, Australia, New 

 South Wales (Gahan and Peck, 1946). According to Dr. A. B, Gur- 

 ney the ootheca associated with the type specimens of the wasps in 

 the United States National Museum is possibly Balta sp. (Burks, 

 personal communication, 1956). 



Blatticidella ashmeadi (Girault) 



Synonymy. — Blatticida ashmeadi. Blatticida Girault, 19 15, is pre- 

 occupied by Blatticida Ashmead, 1904. In 1923 Gahan and Fagan re- 

 named Blatticida Girault, Blatticidella. [Burks, p. c, 1956.] 



Natural host. — Cockroach, Australia, Queensland (Girault, 1915). 



