﻿307 
  

  

  A 
  NEW 
  PHYTOPHAGOUS 
  CHALCID 
  ATTACKING 
  BAMBOO 
  

  

  By 
  James 
  Waterston, 
  B.D., 
  D.Sc. 
  

  

  In 
  a 
  recent 
  and 
  very 
  useful 
  summary 
  of 
  our 
  present 
  knowledge 
  of 
  phytophagous 
  

   Chalcids 
  (Proc. 
  Ent. 
  Soc. 
  Wash., 
  xxiv, 
  no. 
  2, 
  Feb. 
  1922) 
  Mr. 
  A. 
  B. 
  Gahan 
  describes 
  

   (p. 
  55, 
  pi. 
  vii, 
  fig. 
  2, 
  2a) 
  a 
  new 
  Eurytomid, 
  Harmolita 
  phyllostachitis 
  (bred 
  from 
  

   Phyllostachys 
  bambusoides 
  in 
  California), 
  which 
  is 
  apparently 
  the 
  only 
  Chalcid 
  hitherto 
  

   reared 
  from 
  such 
  host-plants. 
  I 
  owe 
  to 
  the 
  Director 
  of 
  the 
  Imperial 
  Bureau 
  of 
  

   Entomology 
  the 
  opportunity 
  of 
  bringing 
  forward 
  a 
  second 
  Harmolita 
  with 
  the 
  same 
  

   general 
  habit, 
  but 
  from 
  a 
  widely 
  separated 
  region. 
  

  

  Unfortunately 
  in 
  the 
  Oriental 
  species 
  now 
  described 
  the 
  precise 
  point 
  of 
  attack 
  

   on 
  the 
  host-plant 
  is 
  not 
  mentioned 
  by 
  the 
  collector. 
  The 
  Californian 
  species 
  oviposits 
  

   through 
  the 
  sheath 
  at 
  the 
  node, 
  and 
  the 
  insect's 
  development 
  takes 
  place 
  immediately 
  

   above 
  this 
  point. 
  

  

  While 
  H. 
  phyllostachitis, 
  Gahan, 
  and 
  H. 
  aequidens, 
  sp. 
  n., 
  are 
  abundantly 
  distinct 
  

   in 
  colour 
  and 
  morphology, 
  they 
  resemble 
  one 
  another 
  in 
  their 
  slender 
  build, 
  and 
  

   differ 
  from 
  Harmolita 
  as 
  restricted 
  by 
  Phillips 
  & 
  Emery 
  (Proc. 
  U.S. 
  Nat. 
  Mus., 
  lv, 
  

   p. 
  435, 
  1916) 
  in 
  the 
  umbilicate 
  punctuation 
  of 
  the 
  thorax. 
  It 
  is 
  possible, 
  there- 
  

   fore, 
  that 
  they 
  represent 
  a 
  group 
  to 
  which 
  a 
  higher 
  status 
  may 
  yet 
  have 
  to 
  be 
  given. 
  

   Both 
  species, 
  however, 
  run 
  easily 
  and 
  directly 
  down 
  to 
  Harmolita 
  in 
  the 
  present 
  scheme 
  

   of 
  classification, 
  and, 
  like 
  Mr. 
  Gahan 
  (loc. 
  cit., 
  p. 
  55), 
  I 
  think 
  it 
  better 
  in 
  the 
  mean- 
  

   time 
  not 
  to 
  define 
  a 
  new 
  genus 
  on 
  characters 
  whose 
  value, 
  after 
  all, 
  may 
  only 
  be 
  

   comparative. 
  

  

  Harmolita 
  aequidens, 
  sp. 
  n. 
  

  

  $. 
  — 
  General 
  ground-colour 
  pale 
  transparent 
  brown, 
  in 
  parts 
  extensively 
  infuscated 
  

   or 
  black. 
  Head 
  with 
  the 
  following 
  regions 
  darkened 
  : 
  lower 
  genae, 
  mid-occiput, 
  

   mid-vertex 
  and 
  antennal 
  fossae 
  to 
  toruli, 
  and 
  thence 
  in 
  a 
  broadening 
  triangle 
  to 
  mouth- 
  

   corners. 
  Antennae 
  black, 
  apex 
  of 
  pedicel 
  and 
  mid-longitudinal 
  streak 
  on 
  scape 
  

   obscurely 
  paler. 
  Trophi 
  pale, 
  apices 
  of 
  mandibles 
  darkened. 
  Thoracic 
  surface 
  

   dorsally 
  blackish-brown 
  ; 
  sides 
  of 
  pronotum 
  broadly, 
  axillae 
  obscurely, 
  and, 
  in 
  some 
  

   specimens, 
  an 
  indefinite 
  spot 
  on 
  each 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  mid-sulcus 
  of 
  the 
  propodeon, 
  pale. 
  

   Ventrally 
  the 
  infuscated 
  areas 
  are 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  propleurae, 
  an 
  apical 
  (distal) 
  

   spot 
  and 
  posterior 
  edge 
  of 
  presternum, 
  and 
  the 
  fused 
  ventral 
  area 
  of 
  prepectus 
  and 
  

   metasternum. 
  Fore-wings 
  faintly 
  brown-tinted, 
  veins 
  brown, 
  with 
  a 
  yellowish-brown 
  

   streak 
  running 
  obliquely 
  backwards 
  from 
  the 
  uprise 
  of 
  the 
  submarginal 
  and 
  meeting 
  

   a 
  similar 
  streak 
  parallel 
  to 
  the 
  hind 
  margin 
  along 
  the 
  basal 
  half. 
  Legs 
  pale, 
  hind 
  

   femora 
  slightly 
  darker 
  dorsally, 
  hind 
  tibiae 
  extensively 
  but 
  faintly 
  infuscated, 
  palei 
  

   at 
  base 
  and 
  apex. 
  Abdomen 
  dorsally 
  shining 
  black, 
  venter 
  and 
  overlaps 
  of 
  tergites 
  

   pale. 
  Spiracles 
  on 
  tergite 
  6 
  (8) 
  outlined 
  in 
  black. 
  

  

  Head 
  (fig. 
  2, 
  a) 
  wider 
  (29 
  : 
  23) 
  than 
  deep. 
  Eyes 
  occupying 
  nearly 
  half 
  (11 
  : 
  23) 
  

   the 
  depth. 
  Frons 
  at 
  widest 
  two-thirds 
  the 
  breadth 
  of 
  the 
  head. 
  Toruli 
  set 
  high 
  up. 
  

   Seen 
  from 
  in 
  front 
  the 
  distance 
  from 
  the 
  clypeal 
  edge 
  to 
  the 
  toruli 
  is 
  over 
  twice 
  (16:7) 
  

   that 
  from 
  the 
  toruli 
  to 
  the 
  level 
  of 
  the 
  posterior 
  ocelli 
  ; 
  clypeal 
  edge 
  with 
  a 
  flat 
  

   triangular 
  median 
  tooth 
  or 
  lobe. 
  Clypeus 
  medianly 
  smooth 
  above 
  the 
  tooth 
  ; 
  an 
  ill- 
  

   defined 
  frontal 
  keel 
  runs 
  upwards 
  to 
  and 
  between 
  the 
  toruli. 
  Antennal 
  fossa 
  continued 
  

   on 
  vertex, 
  where 
  it 
  takes 
  in 
  the 
  anterior 
  ocellus. 
  Ocellar 
  triangle 
  very 
  flat 
  and 
  obtuse, 
  

   lateral 
  ocelli 
  about 
  as 
  far 
  from 
  one 
  another 
  as 
  from 
  the 
  orbits. 
  General 
  surface 
  

  

  