452, MAUD D. HAVILAND 
INTRODUCTION. 
Tue biology of the entomophagous Cynipidae, which include 
the sub-families of Encoilinae, Figitinae, and Chari- 
pinae, has been little studied. The Hneoilinae and 
Figitinae are known to be parasitic chiefly upon Diptera. 
The Charipinae have hitherto been reared from Aphididae, 
and occasionally from Coccidae; but no account of their 
development has been published, and systematic workers have 
described them indifferently as parasites or hyperparasites. 
It is probable that the latter view will prove correct for the 
majority of the sub-family.? 
The following is an account of the bionomics of certain of 
these Cynipidae, of the genus Charips. This was formerly 
known as Allotria, but in 1910, Kieffer (19) reverted to 
the name originally given by Haliday in 1870, and his termino- 
logy has been followed here. The genus is divided into two 
sub-genera, Bothrioxysta, Kieff., and Charips, Hal. 
The majority of individuals reared from material collected 
in the field in the course of this work were of the species 
Bothrioxysta curvata, Kieff.; but a few examples 
of Charips victrix, Westw., and of another genus, 
Alloxysta erythrothorax, Hartig, were obtained. 
No distinction was observed between the larval forms, which 
is not surprising where the specific distinctions of the adults 
are variable and slight. It is even possible that certain forms, 
now ranking as species, may not be physiologically distinct ; 
for in one instance, in captivity, a male of Alloxysta 
erythrothorax appeared to mate with a female of Charips 
vietrix, which afterwards oviposited. 
Hence throughout this work it has been thought most con- 
venient to use the generic name, Charips, when speaking 
1 Silvestri (23), in a foot-note to his work on Enecyrtus aphidi- 
vorus, remarks that Allotria (Charips) is a hyperparasite of 
aphides through Aphidius (Braconidae); and he adds that it lives 
upon the host internally, an observation which has been neglected by 
writers, both before and since. 
