238 Rev. T. A. Marshall's monograph of 



V. MiCROGASTER {L((tr.). 



Forst., Verb. pr. EheinL, 1862, p. 245 ; Reinh., Berl. 

 ent. Zeit., 1880, p. 354. 



Maxillary palpi 5-, labial 3-jointed. Eyes villose. Antennae 18- 

 jointed. Mesopleurse rarely with a riigulose fovea. Abdomen 

 sessile ; suturiform articulation distinct. Eadius of the fore wing 

 almost complete; three cubital areolets, the 2d often imperfect. 

 Hind coxoe elongate ; spurs of the hind tibite not shorter than half 

 the metatarsus. Terebra more or less exserted. 



Distinguished at a glance from Mkroplitis by the 

 length of the hind spurs, and the distinctness of the 

 suturiform articulation. The genus is placed last in the 

 subfamily, as being upon the whole nearest to the 

 Agatliidides. It contains the largest and most typical 

 forms, artificially associated, in consequence of the 

 completeness of the 2d cubital areolet, with an inferior 

 group, which might even be made a separate genus, 

 with as much propriety as Apanteles. 



I. Abdomen narrow, subcompressed, slightly or not at all rugulose 



at the base. Terebra subexserted. Wings hyaline ; radial 

 areolet ample ; 2d cubital subtriangular, often incomplete. 

 Hind legs elongate. Middle-sized or mmute species, allied 

 to Apanteles, Sect. IV. 



II. Abdomen broader, deplanate, rugulose at the base. Terebra 



considerably exserted. Wings coloured ; radial areolet nar- 

 rower ; 2d cubital stirrvip-shaped, usually complete. Hind 

 legs incrassated. Larger species. 



The cocoons of Microgaster, so far as they have been 

 observed, are white, or dirty white, glistening, papy- 

 raceous, and without a common envelope, or with a 

 very scanty one. In the larger species, after the escape 

 of the insect, one half of the cocoon is usually left semi- 

 transparent, the lining being thrust into the hinder end. 

 Some of the smaller species, which issue in great 

 numbers from the same caterpillar, arrange their cocoons 

 regularly, like the cells of a honeycomb, only their 

 heads are not all turned in the same direction. Such 

 species will.always be found to have infested a geometrical 

 larva, and the form of the cake of cocoons is determined 

 by the space left between its body and the support to 

 which it clings, as shown in the annexed outline by 

 JBiguell, from a photograph taken after the Hies had 



