ON THE GENUS CRYPTOCHitTUM 35 



Arthur M. Lee. It is evident that the figure of the wing given by Wil- 

 liston in connection with his criticism of Skuse (Ins. Life, vol. I, p. 329, 

 fig. 72, 1 890) belongs to this species, although the characteristic out- 

 ward curvature of the posterior cross-vein is not very well showm. The 

 angulation of the first vein and the wider submarginal cell should be par- 

 ticularly noted in comparison with the original figure of rcerp<E. There 

 is some variation in the wing venation of this and the foregoing species 

 and the characters pointed out by Skuse are not always tangible, although 

 the broader wing and the short and broad costal cell are obvious. The 

 curvature of the posterior cross-vein, however, seems to be a good diag- 

 nostic for this species and coordinates satisfactorily with the other charac- 

 ters. The third antennal joint has a very weak angulation, hardly per- 

 ceptible in some specimens. 



This species is established in California and is an efficient parasite of 

 Icerya purchasi. I have before me 20 specimens kindly furnished by 

 Mr. P. H. Timberlake and bred by him from that host at Whittier, CtJ- 

 ifornia, in 1911. All of these specimens are unmistakably C. mono- 

 phlehi. Skuse was evidently mistaken in supposing that this species is 

 parasitic only on Drosicha crawfordi. 



Cryptochaetum curtipenne, new species. 



Color dorsally dark metallic blue ; antennae blackish ; legs black, the 

 tarsi lighter colored ; wings very broad, grayish. 



Frons broad, shining, dark blue, with numerous short but coarse hairs 

 inserted in small punctures. Eyes minutely hairy, the hairs black. An- 

 tennae with the third joint very large and broad, but falling considerably 

 short of the lower eye-margin, blackish brown, densely pubescent, the 

 apex drawn out into an acute point in front. Thorax, scutellum, and 

 abdomen shining, metallic blue, uniformly covered with black hairs insert- 

 ed in small punctures, giving the surface a reticulate appearance. Scu- 

 tellum large and much produced, roundedly triangular, with a series of 

 small marginal bristles, but weakly differentiated from the surface hairs, on 

 the median portion of the posterior margin. Legs black, the tarsi ob- 

 scurely yellowish and with longitudinal series of short black bristles. 

 Wings short and broad ; first vein distinctly angulate ; second and third 

 veins nearly rectilinear and moderately divergent ; anterior cross-vein 

 about in line with apex of first vein ; posterior cross-vein rectilinear ; last 

 section of the fourth vein weak and pale. 



