WERNER MARCHAND 183 



Hart (1895) is the next observer who noticed the egg parasites of 

 Tabanidas. Two egg masses of Tabanus atratus which had already 

 produced larvae were placed in a dry vial, and a little later it became 

 evident that both masses had been parasitized by Hymenoptera, 

 minute black images emerging freely in the vial. An examination 

 of one of the masses showed that about one-half of the eggs had been 

 infested. Examples of the imago were sent to Mr. W. H. Ashmead, 

 who found the species to be a new one; and it was described by him 

 as Phanurus tabanivorus (Ashmead). An egg of the Tabanus is fig- 

 ured, containing one imago of the parasite. ^^ 



The description of the parasite by Ashmead is given here: 



Phanurus tabanivorus (n. s p., female). — "Polished black, impunctate, the head 

 and thorax clothed with a fine sparse pubescence. Head subquadrate, roundly 

 emarginate behind, a little wider than the thorax; eyes oval, faintly pubescent; 

 antennae eleven-jointed, black, if extended backwards not quite reaching to the 

 apex of thorax, and terminating in a long fusiform five-jointed club, the first 

 joint of which is not quite as wide as the second; ob-trapezoidal, twice as wide 

 as long, the second, third and fourth joints transverse quadrate, a little wider 

 than long; the fifth or last joint conical and a little narrower than the preceding 

 joint; the scape is about as long as the funicle with the pedicel, the latter obconi- 

 cal; joints of funicle a little narrower than the apex of the pedicel, the first 

 joint scarcely longer than thick, the second and third small, transverse 

 moniliform." 



"Thorax subovoid, not twice as long as wide, the mesonotum scarcely longer 

 than wide, the scutellum lunate, polished, without pubescence; wings hyaline, 

 ciliated, the cilia on the anterior and posterior margins long, much shorter at 

 apical margin; tegulae black; venation brown, the marginal vein a little shorter 

 than the stigmal, the latter only slightly thickened at tip, the postmarginal vein 

 very long, fully two and a half times as long as the stigmal; legs fuscous, the 

 trochanters, knees, tips of tibiae and tarsi honey-yellow or testaceous. Abdomen 

 elongate, pointed fusiform, about twice as long as the head and thorax united, 

 polished, the first segment not longer than wide, with an elevation above at base, 

 the second segment the longest, twice as long as wide at apex, the suture be- 

 tween it and the first striated, the third segment hardly half as long as the second, 

 the fourth about two-thirds the length of the third, the three following forming a 

 cone of which the fifth is very short, its apical margin with a median sinus, the 

 sixth twice as long as the fifth, the seventh very short, scarcely discernible; 

 sheaths of ovipositor a little prominent." 



*^ Ashmead's illustrations (Figs. 55 and 56 of his paper) have been omitted. 



