ASIIMEAD : CLASSIFICATTOX OF THE CITAI.Cin FIJKS 351 



the spelling of long-estaljlished genera is most annoying, confusing and difficult to 

 follow and I hold, with many other zoologists, that the only way to free ourselves 

 from these perplexities is to adhere strictly to the original spelling and to treat all 

 genera incorrectly formed as mere comhinations of letters without special signifi- 

 cance, hi no other way can we secure permanency in nomenclature. 



All the species falling in this suhfamily are apparently parasitic only upon the 

 larvas of Lepidoptera, and more especially upon various families in the suborder 

 Heterocera, particularly those belonging to the families Bnvibycith', Noduidic, Geo- 

 m,etrid;v and Tortricidiv. 



Four minor groups, or tril)es, have been recognized, distinguished by the num- 

 ber and length of the iiiiid tibial .spurs. 



TABLE OF TRIBES. 



1. Hiinl tibiii! with only one apical spur 2 



Hind tibiiu with two apical spurs. 



Hind tibial spurs very long ; prouotum anteriorly acute Tribe I. Enplectrini. 



Hind tibial spurs normal, never very long; prouotum anteriorly rounded. .Tribe II. Opheliniui. 



2. Hind tibial spur normal, rarely very long Trilie III. Elachertini. 



Tribe I. Euplecfrini. 



This tribe is easily separated from the others by the two very long apical si)urs 

 of the hind tibia', the inner spur being very nearly as long as the basal joint of the 

 tarsi. 



Although parasitic upon lepidopterous larvic, like the other tribes, it differs 

 widely from the others, whose habits are known, in that the larva' arc cither ex- 

 ternal feeders, or on reaching maturity, gnaw their Avay out of their host and spin 

 small silk cocoons, like some of the Braconidii', within which they pupate and un- 

 dergo their final transformation. All of the others either pupate as naked pupa', 

 without a cocoon, within the body of their hosts, or emerge and attach themselves 

 to the under or upper side of a leaf, or else conceal themselves in some convenient 

 crevice or under loose l)ark. 



TABLE OF GENERA. 



1. Females 2 



Males 3 



2. Scape in both sexes normal, slender; postniarginal vein distinctly longer than the stigmal vein. 



Euplectrus Westwood (type Picromalus bicolor Swederus). 

 Scape in male abnormally eidarged, swollen ; postniarginal vein not longer than the stigmal. 



Pachyscapha Howard (tyjie P. iimilaris How.). 



3. Scape of anteuuto normal Euplectrus Westwood. 



Scape of antenna' enormously enlarged Pachyscapha Howard. 



