[ 231 ] 



V. On the Anatomy and Becelopment of Couiys infelix, Ewhleton, a Uymenopterous 

 Parasite of Lecanium liemisphrericum. By Alice L. Embleton, jB.Sc, 1851 

 JExhihition Science Research Scholar ; Associate of the University of Wales 

 {Cardiff College). {Communicated by Dr. David Sharp, F.R.S., F.L.S.) 



(Plates 11 & 12.) 



Eead Jth June, 1903. 

 Contexts. 



Page 

 I. Introduction 231 



Characters of Couiys inftUx 232 



II. Natural History : Classification 232 



Mode of Occurrence, &c 233 



Economic Aspects 235 



Page 

 III. Development, and Structure in Early [Stages. 237 



IV. Anatomy of Imago, 2 244 



V. Anatomy of Imago, J 250 



YI. Bibliography 252 



VII. E.Kplanation of the Plates 254 



I. Introductiox. 



IhE subject treated of in this paper is of interest both to the biologist and to the 

 economist. Conujs infelix is a very small llymetioptcrous fly belonging to the family 

 Chalcididtie, the members of which have long been recognized as beneficial from an 

 economic point of view, inasmuch as they are great destroyers of the Coccid pests 

 tiiat are so inimical to cultivation in all parts of the world. Biologically this species of 

 Hymenoptera claims attention by virtue of its reraarkalile life-history, the early stages of 

 which are passed inside a scale-insect, vvhilc the imagines, male and female, lead a free 

 life after emergence from tlie Coccid. In spite of their two-fold importance, little is 

 known about these insects, and tlieir life-histories remain obscure, llccently Bugnion (9) 

 has published the resulls of his researches on the development, anatomy, and habits of 

 Encyrtus fuscicolUs, a iovm allied to Comys infelix, though with very different habits. 

 He mentioned the fact that many embryos of this species were to be found enclosed in a 

 capsule, or tube, in the interior of the host — a caterpillar, l)ut he did not thoroiiglily 

 elucidate the matter. Since Jiugnion's paper Avas published, ^Marchal (39, 40, 41) has 

 discovered that his species (now called Ayeniaspis fuscirol tin, Dahn.)otfors in its develop- 

 ment an example of the phenomenon so rare in zoology, and of extreme interest from a 

 philosophical point of vievv, of dissociation of the embryo. In an early stage of the 

 development, the embryo breaks up and forms from fifty to a hundred em1)ryos. Tlie 

 development of this insect is being studied by this accomplished French savant, and we 

 anticipate most interesting results. He suggests that the species of Ayenias-pis afford 



SECOND series. — ZOOLOGY, VOL. IX. 3:i 



