21 



AN AUSTRALIAN PARASITE OF ICERYA PURCHASI. 



By S. W. WiLLISTON. 



[The following descriptions of a new genus and a new species of 

 Oscinidte were drawn up at our request by Dr. Williston from speci- 

 mens received from Frazer S. Crawford, of Adelaide, South Australia, 

 who reared them from adult females of leery a purchasi Maskell and from 

 Moriophloehus crawfordi Maskell in that colony. The species has been 

 artificially introduced into California and we shall soon have occasion 

 to write about it at greater length.] 



Fig. 3. Lestophonus icery.e. a, antenna enlarged (original.) 



Lestophonus,* gen. uov. 



Front broad, plane, mth scarcely distinguisbable bairs in upper part. Antennae 

 large, the first two joints sbort, tbe third two or three times as long as broad, reach- 

 ing quite to the oral margin; arista wanting. Face flattened or gently concave; 

 thorax without bristles; scutellum large, about half as long as tbe thorax, convex. 

 Abdomen short ovate, rather broad, composed of five segments, thinly and briefly 

 hairy. Legs rather short and strong; middle tibije with a minute or indistinct spur 

 at the lop ; all the tibi;e without erect bristles on the outer side before the tip. Wings 

 short and broad; auxiliary vein wholly wanting ; first longitudinal vein terminating 

 at the basal third, tbe costal vein at the tip of the third longitudinal vein ; second 

 and third longitudinal veins nearly parallel, the fourth vein gently divergent ; pen- 

 ultimate section of the fourth vein a litle shorter than the ultimate section of the fifth ; 

 second basal cell and thediscal cell united ; anal cell distinct, but small. 



Notwithstanding the presence of the anal cell the present species must, I believe, 

 be located with the Oscininw. The absence of distinct bristles on the front, or, indeed, 

 elsewhere on the body, will prevent its location with the Drosophilince. In all the four 

 specimens that I have examined the arista seems entirely wantiug ; I can not attrib- 

 ute its absence to injury. This remarkable character, together with the absence of 

 the anterior basal cross-vein, and auxiliary vein, and the very large third antennal 

 joint will, I believe, render the genus easily recognizable. I can find the description 

 of no genus that will apply, and I have but little or no hesitancy in describing it as 

 new. Mosillus, from Europe and Africa, seems to be its nearest relative. 



Lestophonus icery^, sp. nov. 



$, Length 1.1'"'". Face, front, dorsum of thorax, and scutellum deep blue, mod- 

 erately shining. Auteunse black, obloug, with rounded end. Abdomen puuctulate, 



" A))6r)ji — a plunderer. ^ovEvi — a kiilcr. 



