larva Hypothenemus were used for breeding, being placed in 

 tubes with short pieces of twig containing the beetle larvae. 

 In one tube, after three or four days, two larvae bore each a 

 single egg on the ventral surface and in two weeks a female 

 Cephalonomia was bred out. Later examination of the same 

 tube revealed beetle larvae bearing one to two eggs or larvae, 

 and a fair proportion of these sj)un cocoons. 



One of the remaining Bethylid females died without oviposi- 

 tion and the other was less fruitful than that described above. 



When pressed for food the parent Cephalonomia will itself 

 feed on the juices of the prey, also on the pupal and adult 

 beetle. 



Using fine glass tubes rather larger than the burrow and adding 

 debris from the burrows, Bridwell was able to see that the 

 Cephalonomia, when she encountered a larva, stung it in the 

 head, and a pupa in the tail. In a few minutes the six larvae 

 and pupae were paralyzed but no eggs had been laid in two days. 



After about twenty adults had been reared the colony died 

 out, owing to the difficulty in finding minute beetle larvae. 



In the course of the investigation it was found that 

 Cephalonomia would oviposit on other minute beetle larvae 

 as well as on Hypothenemus. 



Bridwell considers that Cephalonomia resembles Sclero- 

 dernius in its habits. 



Cephalonomia gallicola Ashm. — This species attacked but 

 did not oviposit on beetle larvae in imported Californian barley 

 on which the Bethylid was found. 



The habits of the Bethylidae are thus classified by Bridwell : 



(1) The Ejyyris group with the adult markedly fossorial in 

 habits, feeding on sweets as well as juices of i)rey, and laying a 

 single egg on each host. 



(2) The Goniozus group attacking concealed Lepidopterous 

 larvae and laying several eggs upon them without moving 

 them. Goniozus, Perisierola and Sierola are known to attack 

 thus, and Laelius apparently belongs here. 



(3) The Sclerodermus group in wnich adults feed exclusively 

 on juices of prey which they attack in hiding and do not move. 

 Several eggs may be laid on the prey. 



