1868.1 273 



but its recognitiou seems to be due to the English writers, as no Ger- 

 man author refers to it. The antenna of the (^ is figured by Curtis, 

 B. E., 688, with Bhodites (Gyni'ps) nervosus. 



Genus Aulax, Hartig. 

 Antennae of the c? 15— IG-jointed, not longer than the body, 3rd 

 joint not emarginate, not longer than the 4th ; the rest equal, not ta- 

 pering towards the apex ; of the ? 13— 14-jointed, shorter than the 

 body. Maxillary palpi 5-, labial palpi 3-articulate. Mesothorax gla- 

 brous, coriaceous, or sub-rugulose, gibbous ; the longitudinal sutures 

 often obsolete in front. Scutellum short, semi-orbicular. Petiole 

 rugose, not striolated as in Synergus, consisting of one piece only. Ab- 

 domen sub-globose, not compressed ; the 2nd segment concealing nearly 

 all the rest. Wings with the radial cell short, broad, sometimes im- 

 perfectly closed ; the areolet placed nearer to its middle than to its 



base. 



At/lax, Hart., in Germ. Zeits., 2, 195 ; Aulax, ibid. 3, 343 ; 



Tasch. Hym. 122. 

 Aulax, Osten-Sacken, Proc. Ent. Soc. Phil., Vol. iv. 



The few specimens of this genus that I have before me (including 

 some German individuals of Mr. Walker's collection, named by Porster), 

 are in so bad a state as to render any conclusions formed from them 

 rather doubtful. The characters of the genus are, however, nearly the 

 same as those of Synergus, except the structure of the petiole. In 

 Synergus this consists of two cylindrical pieces, the first fitting into the 

 second and larger one, which is conical, having the small end behind. 

 As at present constituted, Aulax forms a transitional group, connecting 

 the Fsenides, or true gall-makers, with the Inquilini, or those which 

 " lodge " at the expense and in the habitations of the former. The 

 habits of the species are alternately those of either class. They are 

 classified by Hartig according to the superficial texture of the meso- 

 thorax. 



i. Disc of the mesothorax aciculated, almost rugulose. 

 Atilax salaudi, Hart. 



Black ; antenna) dusky red, darker at the apex, joints 1 — 3 blackish ; 

 of the ^ 15-, of the ? 14-jointed. Abdomen and legs ferruginous, 

 the former blackish above, the latter with the coxas, trochanters, and 

 base of the femora, black. Anterior coxae of the ? more or less red- 

 dish. Mesothoracic sutures obsolete, except near the scutellum ; the 

 latter aciculated like the thorax. Areolet sub-obsolete, its lower vein 

 nearly obliterated. ^ ? . Long. |— 1 ; alar. exp. 2 lin. 



