40 



dyctium had Ikhmi feeding upon the caterpillars of the palm leaf- 

 roller. It is very prolxible that this Chalcid has a general dis- 

 tribution thruout the islands tho perhaps not generally aVnnidant. 

 It will he mifortunate if it increases in number so as to diminish 

 the effectiveness of Macrodyctium on the cane leaf-roller, and 

 palm leaf- roller. 



Chelonus blackburiii Cameron (Plate VI, fig. l). 



" 9 . Length 2.4 to 2.5 mm. Black, half shining, covered with a 

 close microscopic silky pubescence ; the greater part of the scape of the 

 antennae and the four folowing joints reddish testaceous; extreme apex 

 of coxae, trochanters, apex and base of anterior femora, and the posterior 

 knees, pale red ; four anterior tibiae and tarsi pallid testaceous ; hinder 

 tibiae broadly annulated with white, the white ring being nearer the top 

 than the bottom ; tips of four anterior tarsi and the hinder pair fuscous ; 

 the greater part of the hinder metatarsus white ; spurs white ; basal third 

 of abdomen white, except a blackish mark at extreme base ; at the apex 

 this white portion is rounded, and at its junction with the black colour 

 passes into brown. Mandibles reddish. Antennae about the length of 

 the body, 17-jointed, the seven apical joints thicker than the basal ones. 

 Head finely punctured, the face covered with white hair. Mesonotum 

 finely punctured. From the usual transverse ridge at the base of the 

 scutellum there runs a central straight carina, and outside of this again 

 are two curved outwardly, but it is only the second which reaches the 

 edge of the thorax ; these keels are united by fine ci^oss-bars. Scutellum 

 smooth, shining on basal half, apical half with longitudinal striations. 

 Metathorax punctured, and with distinct coarse longitudinal striations, 

 truncated at the apex, and with a minute tooth at each edge. Abdomen 

 about the length of head and thorax, finely punctured, the punctures 

 almost obsolete on the basal white portion. The second segment de- 

 pressed in the centre, and produced at the sides into a leaf-like ridge, 

 from the inner side of which runs an almost obsolete carina in the direc- 

 tion of the centre of the segment, but which is not reached. The union 

 (apparent) of the second with the third segment is indicated by a fine 

 transverse line. Wings hyaline, stigma, radial and cubital nervures 

 fuscous; other nervures pale testaceous." [Ashmead, Fauna Hawaii- 

 ensis, I, Pt. Ill, p. 359, 1901.] 



This little Braconid is common in the Hawaiian Islands. Altbo 

 described from here, it also occurs in Australia, (Perkins). It is 

 probably parasitic on a number of species of leaf-roller caterpillars; 

 but I have bred it only from the caterpillars of /^j'w^//?'a recurvalis^ 

 on which it is quite common, a, few from Honweosovia humtralis, 



