RECLASSIFICATION OF MICROGASTERINI 25 



- Tergite 1 rarely narrowed towards apex and then never so strongly as above and then 



the ovipositor sheath is very long . . . . . . . . .44 



43 Hind femur entirely yellow and the stigma pallid or, if femur and stigma dark, then 



the metacarp is fully three times as long as its distance from the apex of the radial 

 cell ; outer side of the hind tibia with only very sparse, hardly differentiated 

 spines and these all of one kind. 



Mesoscutum with dull, satin-like sheen ; ovipositor sheath at most about two 

 thirds as long as the hind tibia. Holarctic . circumscriptus-Qroup (p. 145) 



- Hind femur blackish or, if flushed with paler colouring along sides, then the metacarp 



is hardly twice as long as its distance from the apex of the radial cell ; outer side 

 of the hind tibia with numerous spines of two kinds. 



Not readily easily separable from the circumscriplus-group but apparently not 

 parasites of leaf-mining Lepidoptera as is the circumscriplns-grou-p. Holarctic 



metacarpalis-Qroup (p. 148) 



44 Eyes strongly convergent below, the distance between them across the clypeus not 



more than two thirds the greatest distance between them on the frons. 



Metacarp very short, hardly longer than its distance from the apex of the radial 

 cell. Europe ....... butalidis- group (part) (p. 182) 



- Eyes rarely convergent below and then not as close as above .... 45 



45 Metacarp very short, at most about one and one third times as long as its distance 



from the apex of the radial cell. 

 Propodeum coarsely, evenly rugose ; wings markedly brownish. Europe 



butalidis -group (part) (p. 182) 



- Metacarp rarely as short as this and then the propodeum tends to be smooth and 



polished ; median field of tergite 2 strongly transverse, never triangular ; stigma 

 frequently with pale, basal spot ; ovipositor sheath usually longer than the hind 

 tibia. World-wide in distribution but commonest in temperate regions 



laevigatus- group (p. 181) 



The ,4r£7v-GROUP 

 Group S of Wilkinson, in part. 



Wilkinson's group S was very broadly based and contained many species that I 

 now consider as belonging to the M/tor-group. 



The w/Zor-group is much more natural than the afcr-group, from which it differs on 

 a combination of three characters. These are : — (1) mesoscutum always with a 

 distinct, sharp, discrete punctation and without a trace of striation or striate- 

 punctation at the posterior end of the imaginary course of the notaulices ; 

 (2) postero-lateral area of the propodeum distinctly transverse, whereas in the ater- 

 group, if such an area is delimited at all, it is as long as, or slightly longer than, 

 wide ; (3) vannal lobe, in sharp contrast with almost the whole of the ater-group, 

 with an evenly convex edge that is fringed throughout with very short hairs. 



The ater-group, on the other hand, lacks the homogeneity of the w/for-group, 

 containing many aggregates of species that are not closely related but merge into 

 one another through transitional forms. I have found it convenient to split off 

 from the major group only a single, small assemblage of closely related species that 

 I designate as the euWemmae-subgroup ; except apis, these species are all African. 



The ater-group is well represented on the American continent. 



