﻿343 
  

  

  NOTES 
  ON 
  AFRICAN 
  CHALCIDOIDEA— 
  II. 
  

  

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

   Imperial 
  Bureau 
  of 
  Entomology, 
  London. 
  

  

  Family 
  EULOPHIDAE. 
  

  

  Genus 
  Pleurotropis, 
  Forster. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  confusion 
  existing 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  meaning 
  of 
  the 
  various 
  Entedonine 
  genera, 
  I 
  

   think 
  it 
  best 
  to 
  define 
  the 
  sense 
  in 
  which 
  Pleurotropis 
  is 
  employed 
  in 
  the 
  following 
  

   pages. 
  The 
  essential 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  genus 
  is, 
  I 
  take 
  it, 
  the 
  presence 
  on 
  the 
  smooth 
  

   propodaeum 
  of 
  two 
  central 
  keels, 
  which 
  diverge 
  apically 
  to 
  meet 
  the 
  raised 
  posterior 
  

   edge 
  of 
  the 
  segment. 
  There 
  are 
  also 
  present 
  two 
  lateral 
  keels, 
  as 
  a 
  rule 
  strongly 
  

   developed, 
  running 
  (inside 
  the 
  oval 
  raised 
  spiracle) 
  along 
  the 
  edge 
  from 
  which 
  the 
  

   descent 
  to 
  the 
  pleura 
  begins. 
  The 
  lateral 
  keels 
  join 
  the 
  posterior 
  edge 
  above 
  a 
  

   generally 
  slightly 
  protruding 
  angle 
  inside 
  the 
  insertion 
  of 
  the 
  metacoxae. 
  The 
  

   general 
  shape 
  of 
  the 
  propodaeum 
  is 
  transversely 
  quadrate, 
  not 
  truncately 
  triangular 
  

   as 
  in 
  Entedon. 
  The 
  petiole, 
  which 
  joins 
  the 
  propodaeum 
  by 
  a 
  distinct, 
  though 
  often 
  

   very 
  short, 
  process, 
  is 
  pitted, 
  quadrate 
  or 
  even 
  sub-pentagonal 
  in 
  section. 
  The 
  

   proportion 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  abdominal 
  tergal 
  surface 
  to 
  the 
  whole 
  visible 
  surface 
  varies 
  

   sexually 
  and 
  specifically 
  from 
  less 
  than 
  one-third 
  to 
  three-quarters. 
  

  

  The 
  scutellum 
  shows 
  the 
  usual 
  Entedonine 
  bristles. 
  The 
  parapsidal 
  furrows 
  

   vary 
  in 
  distinctness 
  in 
  different 
  species, 
  but 
  can, 
  I 
  think, 
  always 
  be 
  traced 
  by 
  altering 
  

   the 
  position 
  and 
  illumination 
  of 
  the 
  specimen 
  under 
  examination. 
  They 
  seem 
  

   invariably 
  to 
  bend 
  rather 
  abruptly 
  at 
  about 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  mid 
  lobe, 
  which 
  bears 
  

   apically 
  at 
  the 
  sides 
  a 
  distinctive 
  seta. 
  The 
  area 
  round 
  the 
  seta 
  may 
  be 
  depressed 
  or 
  

   smooth, 
  or 
  different 
  in 
  sculpture 
  from 
  the 
  rest 
  of 
  the 
  mid 
  lobe. 
  

  

  The 
  head 
  is 
  generally 
  broad, 
  and 
  the 
  eyes 
  are 
  bare, 
  pubescent, 
  or 
  completely 
  hairy. 
  

   The 
  antennae 
  in 
  both 
  sexes 
  have 
  nearly 
  always 
  eight 
  joints 
  : 
  scape, 
  pedicel, 
  ring 
  

   joint, 
  three 
  in 
  the 
  funicle 
  and 
  two 
  in 
  the 
  club, 
  with 
  the 
  terminal 
  spur 
  not 
  articulated. 
  

   In 
  the 
  female 
  the 
  funicle 
  and 
  first 
  club 
  joints 
  are 
  generally 
  more 
  cylindrical 
  and 
  in- 
  

   creasingly 
  stouter 
  ; 
  in 
  the 
  male 
  they 
  are 
  more 
  bead-like 
  and 
  of 
  equal 
  breadth. 
  The 
  

   ring 
  joint 
  is 
  very 
  small, 
  but 
  highly 
  magnified 
  (600-1,000) 
  shows 
  a 
  complex 
  laminate 
  

   structure. 
  Proximally 
  there 
  is 
  the 
  usual 
  short 
  stalk 
  of 
  insertion 
  with 
  the 
  pedicel, 
  

   and 
  the 
  dorsal 
  edge 
  is 
  solid 
  and 
  chitinised. 
  When 
  the 
  antenna 
  bends 
  upwards 
  the 
  

   ring 
  joint 
  is 
  seen 
  to 
  consist 
  of 
  two 
  to 
  three 
  laminae, 
  which 
  are 
  distinctly 
  separated 
  

   only 
  ventrally. 
  

  

  Forster 
  (Hym. 
  Stud., 
  ii, 
  p. 
  78, 
  1856) 
  includes 
  Pleurotropis 
  with 
  Entedon 
  amongst 
  

   the 
  genera 
  with 
  less 
  than 
  twelve 
  joints 
  in 
  the 
  antennae, 
  and 
  further 
  remarks 
  (op. 
  cit. 
  

   p. 
  82) 
  : 
  " 
  Die 
  Fiihler 
  sind 
  in 
  beide 
  Gattiingen 
  achtgliedrig, 
  oderwennman 
  den 
  griffel 
  

   an 
  der 
  spitze 
  des 
  letzen 
  Gliedes 
  mitzahlen 
  will, 
  neungliedrig, 
  beim 
  $ 
  mit 
  zwei 
  ringe- 
  

   ligem, 
  beim 
  <J, 
  mit 
  nicht 
  geringelten 
  Endglied." 
  

  

  According 
  to 
  Ashmead 
  (Mem. 
  Cam. 
  Mus., 
  i, 
  pp. 
  341, 
  342, 
  1904) 
  there 
  are 
  ten 
  joints 
  

   in 
  the 
  antennae 
  : 
  " 
  Scape, 
  pedicel, 
  ring 
  joint, 
  four 
  funicular, 
  and 
  three 
  in 
  the 
  club." 
  

   In 
  this 
  reckoning, 
  the 
  " 
  Endgriffel," 
  or 
  spur, 
  is 
  counted 
  as 
  a 
  joint, 
  but 
  in 
  the 
  African 
  

  

  