88 CEKEAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. 



The results are tabulated as follows : 



Parasitism of pupx of the range caterpillar (Hemileuca olivix). 



Total pupae. 



Male. 



Female. 



Living. 



Dead. 



Parasites. 



500 



303 

 947 

 563 

 213 

 675 

 109 

 12 



197 

 817 

 237 

 203 

 625 

 91 

 8 



453 

 1,709 



744 



402 

 1,243 



182 

 18 



47 

 55 

 56 

 14 

 57 

 18 

 o 



5 



1,764 



6 



800 



8 



416 



6 



1,300 



5 



200 





20 











5 , 000 



2,822 

 56.4 



2,178 

 43.5 



4,751 

 95 



249 

 5 



30 



Percentage 



0.6 







The parasites found are classified as follows: 



Pimpla conquisitor a Say 1 



Pimpla sanguinipes a Cress 8 



Chalcis ovata Say (larvae and pupae) 12 



Tachina mella Walk, (larvae and pupae) 6 



Unclassified (probably hymenopterous) 3 



Total 30 



One Hemileuca pupa contained two pupae of Chalcis ovata. Usually 

 this parasite occurs singly, and is found altogether in the head end of 

 the host pupa, through which it bites an irregular hole for its escape. 



The Diptera-infested pupae contained in one case three pupae of 

 parasites, in another case four, while a deformed Hemileuca pupa 

 contained a single dipterous larva. 



Chalcis ovata Say. 



The well-known and widely distributed lepidopterous parasite Chalcis ovata Say 

 (fig. 48) is present in New Mexico, in limited numbers, and is to some extent an 

 enemy of the Hemileuca. It attacks the chrysalis, its larva being found in the upper 

 or head end of the pupa of the Hemileuca, and emerges during October, at about the 

 same time as the Hemileuca moths appear. The injury it inflicts seems to be very 

 slight. Among 5,000 pupae examined, only 12 were found to have been killed by this 

 chalcidid. After its emergence, the adults of Chalcis ovata are found in some abun- 

 dance about the plants of Opuntia arborescens, or some closely allied species of cactus, 

 but little seems to be known of the life and habits of this parasite in this region. 



Pimpla sanguinipes Cress, and P. conquisitor Say. 

 • 

 An examination of 5,000 pupae gathered from various parts of the range country dis- 

 closed the fact, before unsuspected, that two species of ichneumons were engaged in 

 destroying the larvae of Hemileuca. The effect of these in checking the multiplica- 

 tion of these range caterpillars was exceedingly small and insignificant, as in the entire 

 5,000 pupae but 9 individuals were found containing ichneumon larvae. Several 

 adults were reared, most of them belonging to Pimpla sanguinipes (fig. 49). A single 

 female, however, belonged to P. conquisitor (fig. 50). A hyperparasite upon either 

 one or both of these species of Pimpla was reared in some numbers and determined by 

 Mr. J. C. Crawford as Dibrachys sp. 



"Larvae large, tapering, nearly filling the Hemileuca pupal case. 



