22 



BULLETIN 66, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



At Cincinnati, Ohio, Mr. Charles Dury took 15 Polistes palEiyes 

 parasitized by Acroschismus bowditchi. 



Four adult males were bred, and these have been studied by the 

 author. In the 4 male wasps were 12 male parasites and 1 female 

 parasite. In the 10 female wasps were 23 male parasites and 1 

 female parasite. In the remaining mutilated specimen was 1 male 

 parasite. Each male, therefore, averaged 3.25 parasites, and each 

 female 2.4 parasites. The parasites were in the proportion of 36 

 males to 2 females, or only 5.2 per cent females. The highest num- 

 ber of parasites to an individual was 9, all pupae, in a female wasp. 

 The wasp was so feeble it could hardly move. 



The record of parasitism was thus : 











Male 



Male 















pupae 



exuvia 





Parasites 



June 15, 



1900 





1 female 



wasp with 



2 









= 2 



July 3, 



1901 





1 female 



wasp with 



4 









= 4 



Aug. 24, 



1905 





2 female 



wasps with 



1 









= 2 



Aug. 24, 



1905 





1 female 



wasp with 







2 





= 2 



Aug. 24, 



1905 





1 female 



wasp with 



9 









= 9 



Aug. 25, 



1905 





1 female 



wasp with 









1 female 



= 1 



Aug. 25, 



1905 





1 female 



wasp with 



1 









= 1 



Sept. 13, 



1900 



1 male 





wasp with 







4 





= 4 



Sept. 16, 



1905 





1 



? wasp with 





1 male 







= 1 



Sept. 16, 



1905 



1 male 





wasp with 





1 male 







= 1 



Sept. 16, 



1905 



1 male 





wasp with 





1 male 





1 female 



= 2 



Sept. 16, 



1905 



1 male 





wasp with 





1 male 



5 





= 6 



Sept. 22, 



1905 





1 female 



wasp with 



1 









= 1 



Sept. 27, 



1900 





1 female 



wasp with 







2 





= 2 



4 males, 10 females, 1 ? wasp with 19, 4 males, 13 2 females =38 

 The location of the parasites was as follows: 



Location. 



Dorsal. 



Ventral. 



Total. 







3 male. 



19 male, 1 female 



10 male. 



Third segment 



Fourth segment 



17 male, 1 female 



2 male 



1 male, 1 female 



3 male i male, 1 female. 









POLISTES RUBIGINOSUS Lepeletier. 



A nest of Polistes rubiginosus was collected by Mr. Bishopp and 

 Mr. Jones at Rosser, Texas, September 23, 1905, containing 377 

 cells; 171 wasps were procured, 137 being males and 34 females. 

 Not one was parasitized. The same gentlemen at Mineola, Texas, 

 July 19, 1906, examined 21 specimens taken at a nest and none 

 were parasitized. 



POLISTES TEXANUS Cresson. 



Skinner (1903 a) cites the capture of two nests of this species at 

 Pecos, Texas, on September 25, 1901, by Mr. A. E. Brown, from 

 which 144 wasps were obtained, 34 being parasitized. 



