21 



Some Notes on Hawaiian and Other Bethylidae (Hymenop- 

 tera) with Descriptions of New Species. 



BY JOHX COLBURX BRIDWELL. 



1, Perisierola. emigrate Rohwer 



This species has been previously known as a predator upon 

 the Pink Bollworm (Fectinophora gossypiella) , having been 

 bred from that species by Mr. Fullawaj in 1911 and later by 

 Swezey, Busck, Timberlake, Pemberton and Willard. On May 

 30, 1918, while examining pods of klu (Acacia fai-nesiana) I 

 found it abundantly associated with the lepidopterous larvae 

 feeding there. Here were found Cryptophlebia illepida, Mye- 

 lois ceratoniae, Pyroderces rileyi, and Ereunetis minusciila. 

 Of these the two former were found attacked under natural 

 conditions w4iile the latter was readily attacked when confined 

 with Perisierola and eggs were laid upon the paralyzed larva. 

 Cryptophlebia and Myelois when full grown are usually too 

 powerful for the Perisierola and destroy her with their man- 

 dibles w^hen attacked. The smaller ones are, however, usually 

 mastered. The female stings them in three places, in the head 

 region at the throat, and near the middle and at the anal 

 extremity ventrally. Each operation results in violent strug- 

 gles of the larva during which the Perisierola hangs on desper- 

 ately by means of her mandibles, middle and hind legs and by 

 curving her body tightly about the caterpillar. When one por- 

 tion of the body is mastered she manipulates portions of it 

 apparently with the object of feeding on its juices. 



Oviposition was not observed but apparentlv takes place 

 an hour or two after she has mastered the larva. The eggs 

 are long elliptical nearly or quite three times as long as broad. 

 They are usually laid flat against the body with their length 

 parallel with it. The number laid seems to bear some propor- 

 tion to the size of the caterpillar, tw^o eggs having been laid 

 on the little Ereunetis larva while eight is a common number 



Proc. Haw. Ent. Soc, IV, No. i, June, 1919. 



