88 BULLETIN 66, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



3. Genus MYRMECOLAX Westwood (1858). 

 Myrmecolax Saunders, 1872. 



Type of genus. — Myrmecolax nietneri Westwood (1858). 



Name derived from pup/iyc; (an ant) + nbXa^ (parasite), meaning an 

 ant parasite. 



The genus is parasitic upon ants and at present is restricted to 

 Southern Asia. It is separated from Caenocholax by the characters 

 of the wing venation and by the extraordinary tenth abdominal 

 segment of the latter. 



Wings having eight primary veins from base, the medius curved 

 upward and branched at right angles. 



i. MYRMECOLAX NIETNERI Westwood (1858). 



Myrmecolax nietneri Saunders, 1872. — Pierce, 1908. 



The host is an undetermined formicid, collected at Ramboddo, 

 Ceylon, by Herr Nietner on April 29 (pi. 1, figs. 5, 6). 

 Westwood's description is as follows: 



Male. — The eyes are large, the interstices being conically elevated; the front of 

 the head, is produced into two rounded lobes. The antennye partake of the character 

 of those of Elenchus, the first and second joints being very short, the third also very 

 short but having its under apical angle produced into a long slender branch, of which 

 the extremity had been injured; the three terminal joints are much longer and more 

 slender than those of the genus Stylops; these joints are also more curved, and with 

 the extremities dilated. In certain positions the third joint appears to be followed 

 by a distinct but very short joint. 



The mandibles are long, very slender and curved, acute at the tips, whilst the maxil- 

 lary palpi are long and compressed, with the first joint very short and the second long, 

 occupying nearly the whole of the organ. The thorax does not appear to offer any 

 material difference from that of the already described genera; the prothorax is narrow 

 and ring-shaped, as is also the mesothorax, having the pseudelytra affixed at the 

 posterior angles; the latter are clavate at the tips. The wings are traversed by four 

 strong black veins, radiating from the base of the wing, exclusive of the costal portion; 

 the second (medius or fourth primary) of these veins is curved at its extremity. The 

 legs are very short, and the basal joint of the tarsus in one foot was observed to have 

 its lower angle produced. (Westwood, 1858.) 



4. C^NOCHOLAX, new genus. 



Name derived from Kacvb^ (strange, unusual, new) -fjo^af (para- 

 site) ; meaning an interesting new parasite. 



Tarsi four-jointed, the first large and not closely united to the 

 following; antennae with first two joints short cylindrical, third 

 laterally produced into a long flabellum, fourth transverse cylindrical, 

 fifth, sixth, and seventh elongate flattened; wings with only six 

 primary veins, with a short detached vein just below the apex of 

 the radius, with the medius short and continued by a long detached 

 vein commencing behind it and shortly before its apex, cubitus and 

 third anal lacking. 



The genus is based on Gsenocholax fenyesi from Mexico. 



