102 



Family CirALCiniDAE. 



C'halcis ohscurata Walk. — This parasite was introdneed from 

 Japan by Mr. Koebele in 1895, to prey npon the palm leaf- 

 roller (NacoJeia hlacJi-burvi Bntl.) and the sugar cane leaf-roller 

 (Nacoleia accept a Bntl.). Besides these hosts it attacks quite 

 a number of moths. I have reared it from Plnsia chalcites Esp., 

 Simplicia rohitstaUs Guen., Phlyctaenia despecta (Butl.), P. 

 nigrescens (Butl.), P. stellata (Butl.), Archips postvittanus 

 (Walk.), Amorhia emigi-atella Busck., Crocidosema plebiana 

 Zell., CrypfophJ'Chia illepida (Butl.), and Ereunetis simulans 

 (Butl.) ; and it has been reared from Nacoleia monogona Meyr. 

 by Fullaway. The Tortricid Amorhia emigrateUa has of late 

 years been its favorite host. The adult parasite stings and ovi- 

 posits in the pupa of its host, where the parasite grows to matur- 

 ity. It gnaws its way out at maturity. It is found to vary 

 greatly in size, according to the size of its host. The species of 

 Nacoleia and Plusia furnish food enough for a normal-sized 

 adult, but such small hosts as Phlycfaenia despecta and Crocido- 

 sema plebiana furnish hardly enough food, and the parasites 

 emerging from pupae of these species are often very small. 

 There is never more than one parasite per host pupa. It is occa- 

 sionally reared from the puparium of a Tachinid (CJiaetogaedia 

 m out l cola Big.) in the pupa of Plusia. This may be called an 

 accidental hyperparasitism.* 



Chalcis polynesialis Cam. — Reared from pupa of Homoeo- 

 so)na ]iu7n-eral!s (Butl.). Probably parasitic on other Phycitids 

 such as flour moths, as it has been collected mider circumstances 

 which would lead one to infer this. 



Hockeria sp, — This is an accidentally introduced parasite 

 which has become abundant of late years. I have reared it from 

 pupae of Eph-estia ehiteUa Hb. and Corcyra cephalonica Stn., 

 cereal moths ; Pyralis mauritialis Boisd., the Pyralid feeding in 

 old Polistes nests; and Stoeherhiniis testaceous Butl., a Gelech- 

 iid whose larva feeds in dead grass and other decaying vegeta- 

 tion. Mr. Fullaway has reared it from Gelechia gossypiella 

 (Sandrs.), the pink cotton boll-worm. 



•■■' Recently this chalcid has been bred from Gelechia gossi/pielln by 

 Mr. August Busck. [Ed.] 



