FOUR NEW AFRICAN PARASITIC HYMENOPTERA BE- 

 LONGING TO THE SUBFAMILY MICROGASTERINAE. 



By A. B. Gahan, 



Of the Bureau of Entomology, United States Department of Agriculture. 



The following four species of parasitic Hymenoptera were re- 

 ceived in 191G by the Bureau of Entomology from Mr. C. C. Gowdey. 

 All the specimens were reared, but in only two cases are the names 

 of the host caterpillars known. Very few Microgasterinae appear to 

 have been recorded from Africa and these will form an interesting 

 addition to the known fauna. 



Family BRACONIDAE. 

 Subfamily Microgasterinae. 



MICROGASTER FASCIIPENNIS, new species. 



Female. — Length, 2.9 mm. Black; palpi and scape reddish testa- 

 ceous; flagellum fusco-testaceous basally, becoming piceous toward 

 the apex; anterior femora, narrow apex of median femora, anterior 

 and median tibiae and tarsi, and a broad basal annulus on the hind 

 tibiae pale reddish testaceous ; remainder of legs black or blackish ; 

 first and second ventral abdominal segments pale; apical one- fourth 

 of the forewing distinctly clouded, the basal three-fourths hyaline, 

 stigma and veins dark brown. Head, mesoscutum, and scutellum 

 closely, strongly punctured, the punctures not confluent; face with 

 a delicate median carina from the base of antenna half way to 

 clypeus; frontal depression smooth and polished; posterior orbits 

 more sparsely punctured than the face; mesoscutum without parap- 

 sidal furrows; mesopleura punctate above and below with a nearly 

 impunctate area medially ; propodeum rugoso-punctate, with a strong 

 median carina, the anterior margin nearly smooth ; hind coxae large, 

 strongly punctured, subopaque, extending backward to the middle 

 of the abdomen ; hind femora sculptured like their coxae ; hind tibiae 

 slightly curved, the longer tibial spur equal to two-thirds the length 



Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. 54— No. 2252. 



587 



