Nov.. '07] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 377 



cattle tick is something which the writer's assistants hope to 

 investigate should they be able to secure further living speci- 

 mens. The observation is most interesting from the biological 

 standpoint. The parasite appears to be quite new, belonging 

 to the sub-family Encyrtinae of Ashmead's family Encyrtidae, 

 but does not fit well into either of the tribes founded by him. 

 It may be described as follows : 



IXODIPHAGUS gen. nov. 

 Female. — Mesosautum entire, convex, parapsidal furrows 

 entirely absent. Mandibles broad, bidentate, with an inner 

 chisel-shaped tooth and a canine tooth. Maxillary palpi 

 4- jointed, joints 2 and 3 shorter than 1 and 2. Labial palpi 

 3- jointed short and very stout, joint 2 very short. Hypopygium 

 not prominent. Marginal vein punctiform ; post-marginal 

 short, shorter than stigmal which is triangular and descends 

 at a narrow angle into the wing disk. Body robust. Head 

 lenticular from dorsal aspect ; eyes well separated ; ocelli at 

 angles of right-angled triangle, the distance of the middle 

 ocellus from each of the laterals about equal to that of a lateral 

 from the eye-margin : eyes faintly pubescent. Antennae some- 

 what pilose, slightly club-shaped : scape slightly swollen ; 

 pedicel ob-conical. longer than joints 1 and 2 of the funicle 

 together ; funicle joints subequal in length but gradually widen- 

 ing from 1 to 6 : club with its 3 joints visibly separated, some- 

 what longer than last 3 funicle joints together, and with a 

 long lateral flattened area. Antennae inserted just below mid- 

 dle of face, their bases widely separated. Antennal scrobes 

 deep. Cheeks and lower face well rounded. Mesoscutum and 

 mesoscutellum subequal in length ; axillae nearly meeting at 

 tips. Legs normal. 



Ixodiphagns texanus n. sp. 

 Female. — Length 0.8 mm; expanse 1.5 mm; greatest width of fore 

 wing 0.2. Body black, shining, somewhat pubescent. Antennae brown, 

 scape yellowish, especially near base ; all tibiae and tarsi honey yellow ; 

 front femora entirely black ; middle and hind femora honey yellow at 

 either end. Head and thorax shining, coriaceous. Wings generally and 

 very faintly infuscated ; wing veins light-brown, distinct. 



