January 1S93.] 



PSTCHE. 



377 



ON THE SPECIES OF THE GENUS MIRAX FOUND IN NORTH 



AMERICA. 



BY WM. H. ASHMEAD, 



No species in the genus Mirax is 

 yet described from the United States, 

 although in Insect Life, v. 3, p. 15, 

 I have indicated three species in Ms. 

 reared by Dr. Riley at the Department 

 of Agriculture. 



In Europe, only a single species ap- 

 pears to be known, viz., Mirax spartii 

 Haliday, the type of the genus, para- 

 sitic on Nepticula septembrella Stain- 

 ton, a Tineid found mining the leaves 

 of St. John's Wort, Hypericum perfol- 

 iattim. 



The habits of our species conform to 

 the European species, in that they are 

 parasitic on the Tineina. 



washington, d. c. 



Mirax Haliday. 



"Maxillary palpi 4-, labial 3-jointed. 

 Antennae 14-jointed. Eyes somewhat 

 villose. Abdomen showing 7 segments 

 above, 6 beneath, smooth, shining. 

 Radius of the fore wing hardly in- 

 choate, springing from the same point 

 in the stigma as the 1st intercubital ; 

 two cubital areolets, the 2nd imperfectly 

 separated from the radial. Terebra sub- 

 exserted." — Marshall. 



Our species may be svnoptically rep- 

 resented as follows : — 



Species black, base of abdomen pale. 

 Scutellum polished. 



Three basal abdominal segments pale ; second flagellar joint about as 

 long as the first. 



Stigma brownish-yellow ; legs yellowish sometimes tinged with 

 fuscous, the articulations pale ; first submarginal and first discoidal 



cells confluent M. aspidiscae. 



Stigma fuscous ; legs brownish-yellow, the tarsi fuscous ; first 

 submarginal and first discoidal cells distinctly separated. 



M. minuta. 

 Scutellum finely punctate. 



Stigma pale brownish ; hind tarsi fuscous; first submarginal and first 

 discoidal cells not entirely separated. 



Antennae longer than body, the 7 terminal joints 2J times as 

 lone as thick. ..... M- lithocolletidis. 



Antennae longer than body, the joints after the 3rd 4 times 

 as long as thick ; all femora and the hind tibiae and tarsi tinged 



with fuscous M. grapholithae. 



Wholly brownish-yellow, all tarsi fuscous. .... M. pallida. 



