1902 THE BUTTERFLIES OF NEW ENGLAND. 



■ 3. Apanteles megathymi Riley. 

 Parasitic upon Megathymus yuccae. 



I repeat here the description already published (Notes, etc., pp. 9-10). 



Apanteles megathymi, n. sp. Length of body, 3 mm, ^ $. Black; palpi whitish, 

 antennae piceous; legs red, the coxae, and in the male.s the posterior femora and 

 tarsi and the tips of the posterior tibiae, black or piceous, in the females the tips of 

 posterior tibiae and the posterior tarsi dusky; wings, including the stigma, hyaline ; 

 tegulae and nervures white, the costa and the outline of the stigma testaceous, Me- 

 sonotum closely punctate, the punctures tending to unite to form striae, opake, the 

 scutellura polished, sparsely punctate; metathorax finely reticulate, divided into 

 larger areas by i-egnlar ridges, two of these ridges enclosing a median ovate-lanceo- 

 late area, there being no median carina. Abdomen as long as the thorax, narrowing 

 towards base; basal joint, excluding the less chitinized sides, longer than broad, and 

 longer than the second and third joints taken together, delicately sculptured and with 

 some scattered punctures of larger size ; remainder of the abdomen smooth ; second 

 joint very short, separated from the third by a deep, but very narrow groove; the 

 third joint twice as long as the second. The ovipositor is exserted and as long as the 

 abdomen. The vein from the stigma forms with the basal vein of the areolet only a 

 slight curve. 



Described from many specimens bred from larvae of Megathymus 

 yuccae received from South Carolina. The cocoons are spun in white 

 masses, filling the silk-lined buiTows of the Yucca-borer. The flies ap- 

 jiear in April shortly after the time of apj)carance of the butterfly, and 

 are more or less powdered with the waxy secretion of the caterpillar. 



4. Apanteles limenitidis Riley. 



Microgaster limenitidis Riley; Third cAae Riley ; Notes on N. A. Microgasters, p. 13. 

 Rept. Ins. Mo., p. 158. Apanteles limenitidis Riley; Packard, 



Apanteles limenitidis B,\\6y,ioTmfiav icon- Proc. Bost. Soc.Nat. Hist. 



Parasitic on Basilarchia archippus. 



This parasite commonly infests the last brood of larvae of Basilarchia 

 archippus in Missouri, and as my original description was rather general, 

 I have drawn up a more full characterization : 



Average length (J , 2 mm. ; $ 2.5 mm. Color piceous-black with white pubescence. 

 Head : with a perceptible but very slight median facial elevation below antennae : palpi 

 whitish or testaceous. Thorax : mesoscutum coarsely punctate and with a faint median 

 carina obsolete anteriorly ; scutellura more polished; fovea of metascutum broad, sub- 

 triangular and with central depression : wings normal the basal vein of areolet but 

 slightly angulatc : legs with all coxae and trochanters black ; front femora with basal 

 half black; apical lialf honey-yellow (sometimes nearly all honey -yellow) ; front tibiae 

 and tarsi honey-yellow ; middle femora dark brown above, tibiae and tarsi honey-yellow ; 

 hind femora bl.ack; hind tibiae with basal half honey-yellow, apical half brown, spur 

 yellow; hind tarsi brown above, paler below. Abdomen with joints 1, 2 and 3 punc- 

 tate, the rest polished ; 2 with a slight median carina; 1 and 2 yellowish at sides ven- 

 trally ; ovipositor hidden. 



