312 MEMOIKS OF THE CARNEGIE MUSEUM 



1856. Ormoceroidce, Family XV. (partim), Forster, Hym. Stud., II., p. 59. 

 1856. Pteromaloidse, Familie 16 (partim), Forster, opus cit., pp. 19, 25 and 63. 

 1875. Pteromalina Tribus (partim), Thomson, Hym. Skand., IV., pp. 12 and 217. 

 1886. Pteromalinfe, Subfamily (partim), Howard, Ent. Amer., I., p. 198. 

 1897. Pteromalidse, Family LXIX., Ashmead, Proc. Ent. Soc. Washington, IV., p. 

 246. 



This is the largest and most difficult family to classify of all of the families of the 

 superfamily Chalcidoidea. It comes nearest to the family MiscogasteridsR, and is 

 separated from it by a single character — the tibial spurs of the hind legs. In this 

 family the hind tibiae have one apical spur, in the Miscogasteridx two. 



Six subfamilies have been recognized, and these are again divided into tribes. 

 The subfamilies may be recognized by the aid of the following table : 



TABLE OF SUBFAMILIES. 



1. Abdomen sessile or subsessile '. 2 



Abdomen distinctly petiolate 4 



2. Metanotum without spiracular sulci and usually without lateral folds 3 



Metanotum with spiracular sulci, always present, the lateral folds also present although sometimes incom- 

 plete, the median carina usually more or less distinct, rarely absent ; antennae 12 to 13-joiuted. 



Subfamily I. PTEROMALiN-ffi. 



3. Head normal, not especially wide ; antennae 12 to 13-jointed ; scutellum of normal size ; hind angles of 



metanotum rounded . Subfamily II. MERisiNiE. 



Head very wide, much wider than the thorax, lenticular; antennse 6 to 10-jointed, inserted near the 

 mouth border ; scutellum large ; hind angles of metanotum acute Subfamily III. Eunotin^. 



4. Front wings with the marginal vein very long, the costal cell very narrow ; head transverse, convex 



anteriorly 6 



Front wings with the marginal vein not especially long, often short and thick, the costal cell rarely nar- 

 row ; if very narrow the head is oblong ; apterous forms not uncommon 5 



5. Head viewed from in front short or rounded, the occipital line incomplete ; antennae 9 to 13-joiuted. 



Subfamily IV. Sphegigasterin^. 

 Head viewed from in front oblong, the occipital line complete ; antennae 8 to 12-jointed. 



Subfamily V. Spalangiin^. 



6. Mesonotum rather long ; head in front convex ; antennae 13-jointed, the scape long, reaching beyond 



the ocelli Subfamily VI. Diparin^. 



Subfamily I. Pteromalina. 

 1897. Pteromalinfe, Subfamily II., Ashmead, Proc. Ent. Soc. Washington, IV., p. 



236. 

 1900. Pteromalinse, Subfamily II., Ashmead, Proc. U. S. Nat. Museum, XXIIL, p. 

 248. 

 The sessile, not distinctly petiolate, abdomen separates this group from the Sphe- 

 gigasterinse, Spalangiinse and the Diparinse, while the shape of the head, scutellum. 



