ASHMEAD : CLASSIFICATION OF THE CHALCID FLIES 261 



in clover seed. All the other species, however, belonging to this genus, whose para- 

 sitism is known, destroy coleopterous larvse, and I am inchned to think that both 

 Drs, Howard and Hopkins are wrong, and that Bruchophagus funebris is a parasite 

 upon some Bruchus, or the larva of a small rhynchophorous beetle living in the 

 plover seed. 



The genera are numerous, but it is believed these may be easily recognized , by 

 the use of the following table : 



TABLE OF GENERA. 



1. Females 2 



Males 15 



2. Non-metallic 3 



Metallic green or blue, coarsely, umbilicately punctate. 



Head in front quadricarinate (a carina along the inner orbits and bounding the frontal furrow) ; 

 eyes surrounded by a ring of coarse punctures ; antenuis 11-jointed, sometimes appearing 

 only 9-jointed by the union of the club joints ; funicle 5-jointed, the joints long, the first the 

 longest, about two-thirds the length of the scape ; abdomen conic-ovate, the fifth segment the 

 longest Chryseida Spinola (type C superciliosa Spinola). 



3. Mesonotum distinctly umbilicately punctate , 4 



Mesonotum not umbilicately punctate, smooth or nearly, shagreened , or at least rugulosely punctate . . 12 



4. First joint of the funicle elongate, as long or nearly as the scape, or at least never less than two-thirds 



the length of the scape 5 



First joint of the fmiicle not especially long, never longer than half the length of the scape, but 

 usually much shorter than that ; 6 



5. Head with a deep antennal channel, the front ocellus lying in it at apex ; antennae 11 -jointed, filiform, 



not or only slightly thickened toward apex. 



Abdomen rarely much longer than the head and thorax united, strongly compressed, pointed at 

 apex; seen from the side, the dorsum is strongly convexly elevated, the fifth segment the 



longest Bephrata Cameron (type B. ruficollis Cam.). 



Abdomen very elongate, nan-ow, lanceolate, compressed, fully twice as long as the bead and 

 thorax united, the segments more nearly equal in length. 



Aximogastra Ashmead, gen. nov. (type A. bahise Ashm.). 



6. Mesonotum with distinct, complete parapsidal furrows 7 



Mesonotum tvithout parapsidal furrows or the furrows are only indicated anteriorly 14 



7. Head sometimes with a deep frontal channel or antennal furrow, but the front ocellus is never placed 



within it, but always above it near the anterior margin of the vertex 8 



Head with a deep frontal channel or antennal furrow, the front ocellus always placed at the apex of 

 this furrow, never above it. 



Scape elongate, more than twice longer than the first joint of the funicle, the funicle joints 

 rather long, the first about twice as long as thick ; abdomen compressed, not longer than the 

 head and thorax united, ending in a conical point; the dorsum, as seen from the side, is 

 highly convexly elevated ; postmarginal vein variable, sometimes shorter than the marginal, 

 but rarely very much longer ; hind tibipe with rather short, stiff bristles behind. 



Prodecatoma Ashmead, gen. nov. (type P. flavescens Ashm.). 



