1913] Richardson — An Undescribed Hymenopterous Parasite of the Housefly 39 



Described from 1 type (male) and several paratypesof both sexes. 



Spalangia muscidarum closely resembles S. rugosicollis Ashmead 1 

 from which it may be separated by the presence of a smooth median 

 space on the posterior surface of the mesonotum and the entire 

 absence or extreme paucity of punctures on the sides of the scutel- 

 lum above the punctured line. 



Eight specimens reared from Stomoxys calcitrans by Mr. H. 

 Pinkus at Dallas, Texas, agree in detail with the series from 

 Forest Hills, except that they have a more or less uniformly 

 punctured pronotum which, in the latter, is smooth medially. 



Muscoe has appeared as a manuscript name for a species of the 

 genus Spalangia 2 which was taken from a puparium of the 

 house fly by Mr. H. L. Sanford, but no description of the species 

 has been published. 



This ecto-parasite was found abundantly within the puparia of 

 house flies, but was not known with certainty to parasitize other 

 species. However, Stomoxys calcitrans Linn, whose puparium 

 resembles closely that of Mnsca domestica was breeding quite 

 abundantly with the latter in a region infested with Spalangia 

 muscidarum, and it seems reasonable to suppose that the parasites 

 did not discriminate between the two. The fact that the speci- 

 mens from Texas obtained by Mr. Pinkus were reared from 

 Stomoxys favors this view. 



The writer is indebted to Dr. L. O. Howard and Mr. J. C. 

 Crawford of the Bureau of Entomology for determination and loan 

 of specimens, and to Mr. F. C. Bishopp for sending the Texan 

 specimens referred to above. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE 



Fig. 1. Spalangia muscidarum sp. nov., male. 

 Fig. 2. Outline of abdomen of female. 

 Fig. 3. Front view of head of male. 

 Fig. 4. Front view of head of female. 



'Proc. Entom. Soc. Washington, Vol. 3, p. 36. (1894). 



'Howard, L. O., The House Fly — Disease Carrier, Frederick A. Stokes Company, New- 

 York, 1911, p. 90. 



Mr. J. C. Crawford (in lit.) holds that this is a described species which should be attributed 

 to Howard, since what is probably the same form is referred to by Dr. Howard (loc. cit.) in 

 the following words: " . . .a fully formed and active adult black Spalangia crawled im- 

 mediately from the open.ng . . . This will be described by Girault as Spalangia 

 musccB." This particular specimen in question is not at present accessible; therefore we have 

 no means of comparing it with the series under consideration. 



Unfortunately the word black, which constitutes the entire description, will not apply 

 strictly to this species in which the color is distinctly bronzed and a portion of each tarsus 

 is yellow-brown as described above. Likewise if used in the cited general sense, it would 

 apply as well to Spalangia rugosicollis Ashm. S. drosophilce Ashm. or to S. haematobi.ee Ashm. 

 as to the present species; it has no diagnostic value. Moreover, since this species will soon 

 enter ecomonic literature, it seems highly expedient to propose a name accompanied by a 

 description by which it may be distinguished from other members of the same genus. 



