ABT.8 NOTES OlST PARASITIC HYMEN OPTEEA GAHAIST 



Described from three females (one type) received from Leitli F. 

 Hitchcock and reared by him from Moneilema species at Aguas- 

 calientes, Mexico, in May, 1927, and four males received from the 

 same collector, reared from Moneileiaa species at Cedar City, Utah, 

 in September, 1926. 



Family CHALCIDIDAE 



BRACHYMERIA NEPHANTIDIS, new species 



Very similar to Brachymeria thracis (Crawford) but distinguish- 

 able at once by the nearly cylindrical flagellum, the absence of discal 

 cilia on the base of the f orewing, and the weaker sculpturing of the 

 sixth tergite. In thracis the flagellum is very greatly thickened 

 toward the apex and the discal ciliation extends to the base of the 

 wing. 



Female. — ^Length, 5 mm, Antennal flagellum cylindrical, very 

 slightly narrower at base than beyond; first funicle joint slightly 

 longer than broad, following funicle joints quadrate or subquadrate; 

 club a little longer than two preceding funicle joints ; antennal de- 

 pression smooth ; face with a small median area between clypeus and 

 antennal depression smooth; remainder of head coarsely punctate, 

 the punctation of vertex somewhat coarser than that between the 

 antennal depression and inner eye margins ; malar space longer than 

 width of mandible at base ; carina separating face from cheeks with 

 a well-developed postorbital branch which extends to the occipital 

 margin. Pronotum, mesoscutum, and scutellum with coarse umbili- 

 cate punctures, the interstices between punctures distinctly less than 

 the diameter of the punctures and finely ruguiosS : scutellum rounded 

 at apex, not emarginate ; propodeum coarsely rugoso-reticulate, with- 

 out teeth or projections. Fore wing behind submarginal vein practi- 

 cally bare of cilia from base to about midway of submarginal vein ; 

 stigmal vein short; postmarginal nearly twice as long as stigmal. 

 Hind coxae polished above, closely punctate beneath, without a tuber- 

 cle on inner side; hind femur uniformly finely closely punctate on 

 outer side, with about 10 teeth on the lower margin, the basal tooth 

 not larger than some of the others, without an inner tooth near base. 

 Abdomen as long as head and thorax, pointed ovate; first tergite 

 perfectly smooth and polished; second nearly smooth dorsally but 

 finely shagreened and hairy laterally; third to fifth each smooth 

 basally but with an apical band weakly shagreened and hairy ; sixth 

 tergite finely shagreened, with about four transverse rows of very 

 "weak subobsolete punctures or pits but much less strongly pitted than 

 in most other species; seventh tergite ventrally at apex coarsely 

 punctate ; ovipositor tip barely exserted. Tegulae, anterior and mid- 

 dle femora at extreme apices, their tibiae at bases and apices, and all 



