46 AMERICAN HYMENOPTERA. 



Cornell lantern records show that eighty-seven males were 

 to taken four and five females. This species does not appear 

 always to spin a cocoon, due probably to the conditions ob- 

 taining ; if the larva can pupate within the cocoon of its host 

 no cocoon of its own is necessary, but if the host dies before 

 it can spin up, the larva of the parasite evidently spins a 

 cocoon. This is compressed oval, 15-16 mm. long and 5-8 

 mm. wide, composed of dull, dirt-colored silk, sometimes 

 darker at the ends and thus forming a more or less distinct 

 median band. 



Economic importance. — Very little is known of the hosts of 

 this species, and hence its value as a parasite can not be de- 

 termined, but its abundance and wide distribution indicate 

 that it is important. The brief records available show that 

 it preys on some of the Arctians and Noctuidae ; the former 

 are not of much economic importance, but the latter are, 

 and this species may accordingly prove to be of considerable 

 value. 



The following hosts have been recorded, or specimens are 

 before me : 

 Diacrisia [Spilosoma) virginica Fabr., Felt, N. Y. State Mus., 



Bull. 76, p. 115 1904. 



Epargyrus tityrus Fabr., Idem. 



Feltia gladiaria {morrisoniana) Morrison ; Riley and Howard, 



Ins. Life, III, p. 155 1890. 



Glcea inulta, Grote, Idem. 



Halisidoia caryce Harris; Felt, N. Y. State Mus., Bull. 76, p. 



118 1904. 



? Notolophus leucostigma Abb. and Smith ; Howard, U. S. Dept. 

 Agr., Div. Ent., Tech. Ser., Bull. 5, 



p. 30 1897. 



Prodenia eridatiia Cram. 



Samia cecropia L. 



Symnierista albifrons Abb. and Sm. ; Felt, N. Y. State Mus., Bull. 



76, p. 118 1904. 



Telea polyphetnus Cram., July 17-Aug. 1. 



Location of specimens. — The U. S. National Museum collec- 

 tion contains specimens from Sitka, Alaska ; British Colum- 

 bia, Washington, California, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, 

 Michigan, Kansas, Arkansas, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, 

 New York, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Delaware and 

 Virginia. 



