MONOGRAPH OF THE NORTH AMERICAN PROCTOTRYPID^. 137 



scutelliim is frequently seined; metatliorax short, frequently with acute 

 angles or spines. Front wings most fV'^quently with submarginal, 

 marginal, post-marginal, and stigmal vein , the post-marginal and mar- 

 ginal veins are rarely absent, except in the tribes Brcini and Teleasini; 

 if absent, in the tribe Hcelionini^ the submarginal vein terminates 

 in a stigma or knob. Abdomen sessile, or subsessile, inserted above the 

 coxa?, depressed and sharp-edged or strongly carinated along the sides, 

 where the tergites join the urites; in shape it is variable: it may be 

 broadly oval, oblong, ovate, fusiform, or linear, and often greatly elon- 

 gated, composed of several segments; the second and third segments are 

 usually much the largest, but occasionally the segments are nearly of 

 an equal length. Legs moderate, the femora clavate, the tibije sub- 

 clavate or slender, the tibial spurs usually 1, 1, 1, the middle and poste- 

 rior spurs generally weak or poorly developed; the tarsi long, slender, 

 5-jointed. 



This group is probably the most extensive one in the whole family 

 and of the greatest economic importance, all the species comprising it 

 being strictly egg parasites, scarcely a single order of insects being free 

 from their attack. 



It may be subdivided into four natural tribes distinguished as fol- 

 lows: 



TABLE OF TRIBES. 



Abdomen without distinct lateral carinsB, most frequently broadly oval, rarely 

 pointed ovate, depressed, the second segment always the largest and 

 longest; post-marginal and stigmal veins long; 9 with 11-jointed 

 antenna!, rarely with 12 joints, clavate; <? autennje 12-jointed. 



Tribe i. — Telenomini. 

 Abdomen always Avith distinct lateral carina>. 



Abdomen broadly oval or long oval, the third segment mucli the longest ; post- 

 marginal vein not developed. 

 Marginal vein very short, punctiform or thickened, not or scarcely as long as tho 

 stigmal vein; stigmal Aein short, thickened at l>a8e and ending in a 

 rounded stigma; 9 antenna^ 7-jointed with an uujointed club; 9 

 nsually apterous ; $ antenuiel2-jointed, filiform-moniliform; lateral 

 ocelli usually close to the inner margin of the eye. .Tribe ii.— B.eini. 

 Marginal vein very long, 5 or 6 times as long as the exceedingly short stigmal vein ; 

 stigmal vein not thickened at base; 9 antennsB 12-jointed, clavate, 

 ^ the club 5 or 6 jointed; i antenna' 12-jointed, filiform, the fnniclar 

 - ^ iointslong; lateral ocelli faraway from the inner margin of the eye, 



^ * ,7 never very close Tribe in. — Teleasini. 



Abdomen sessile, most fre<xnently long, fusiform, or linear, extending beyond the 

 tips of the wings when folded, rarely broadly oval, the segments 

 more nearly eqnal, or the third segment the longest, but rarely much 

 longer than some one of the others; post-marginal vein present, 

 rarely wanting, if wanting the submarginal vein terminating in a 

 stigma; marginal Aein seldom twice as long as the stigmal; the 

 stigmal not especially short, oblique, rarely entirely absent; J 

 antenna' 12-jointed, clavate; i antennw 12-jointed, nsually filiform 

 (in a single case 10-jointed) Tribe iv.— SCeuonini, 



