ASIIMEAI) : CLASSIFICATION OF THE CHALCID FLIES 327 



Sri'.FAMII.V IV. Sl'HECIGASTERIN.E. 



1856. Miscogastt'i-okUe, Faiuilie 14 (partiiii), Forster, Hyni. t^tiul., II., p. 24. 



1856. Miscogastroidre, Fainilie 14 (partini), opus at., p. 51. 



1875. Sphegigastrides, Subtribus (partim), Thomson, Ilym. Skaiul., IV., p. 217. 



1875. Caratomides, Subtribus, Thomson, opm cit, p. 216. 



1887. Pteromaliiuu, Subfamily (partim), Howard, Ent. Amer., II., pp. 33 and 35. 



1897. Sphegigasterime, Subfamily III., Ashniead, Proc. Ent. Soc. Washington, IV., 



p. 248. 



1898. Cnirysolam{)in:c, Subfainily, Dalla Torre, Cat. Hym., V., p. 16. 



This subfamily is distinguished from the three preceding subfamilies by the dis- 

 tinctly petiolated aixlomen, and from the two which are to ft)llow, which also have 

 the abdomen petiolate, by other characters; from the Spalanyiiniv. l)y having a 

 ttjtally different shaped head, and by the venation ; from the Diparinx by thoracic 

 and antennal characters. 



Four very distinct minoi- groups, here culled tribes, have been recognized. 



TABLE OF TRIBKS. 



1. Antennse inserted near the moutli bonier or just above the clypeus '1 



Auteniue inserted on or near tlie middle of the face, far above the clyjieiis 3 



2. Head asually lentienhir, much \vider tlian the thorax, deeply concave behind, rarely normal ; paraii-si- 



dal furrows complete Tribe I. Asaphiui. 



3. Front wings with a slender marginal vein 4 



Front wings with a thick, stout, usually short marginal vein Tribe II. Pachyneurini. - 



4. Head transverse, the temples not very broad Tribe III. Sphegigast«riiii. 



Head very large, the temples very bioad, the Irons sometimes eornuted Tribe IV. Cratomini. 



Ti;ii;k I. As(qilil)u. 



This tribe is readily distinguished from the others in the subfamily liy the 

 antennse being inserted near the mouth border, or just aljove the clypeus; they arc 

 never inserted near the middle of the face. 



It is based upon the genus A.^(ii>h(s Walker, which was rcchristciUMl Isofnilus liy 

 Dr. Forster, and placed by him in the subfamily SjxihiiKjUn.-r, with which group it 

 has nothing in common. 



The habits of the genera falling in this tribe are fairly uniform, the vast niMJority 

 of the species being parasites upon idant-lice, AphididiV, and upon the hark-lice, 

 Coccidx. 



TAliLK OF OEXKUA. 



1. Females 2 



Males 10 



