reclassification of microgasterini 129 



The CAESAR-Grovp 



Monobasic. 



Apanteles caesar Wilkinson 

 Apanteles caesar Wilkinson, 1938b : 131. 



$. Hind tibia dull reddish, faintly darkened apically ; hind femur pale at tip. 



Head in facial view markedly rostriform. Face shiny, impunctate. Tongue very long, 

 almost as long as the combined segments of the labial palpus. Antennal scape very short (cf. 

 vipio) (Text-fig. 119). Mesoscutum and propodeum highly polished. Lateral, polished zone of 

 the scutellum pushed far forwards and cutting off between itself and the disc a long, narrow, 

 rugose groove. Vannal lobe slightly concave beyond its widest part and here without trace of a 

 hair-fringe. Tergite 1 strongly narrowed behind (Text-fig. 115). Ovipositor sheath nearly one 

 and two thirds times longer than the hind tibia. 



Length: ca. 4 mm. without ovipositor. 



o*. Like the female except for the sexual differences. 



S. W. Africa : Aus (type locality) ; Cape Province. 

 Type in the British Museum (Nat. Hist.). 



With its rather large, dark brown wings, this species does not look like an Apan- 

 teles to the naked eye. It seems to be quite isolated. I do not look upon the 

 lengthened mouth-parts as indicating a relationship with the European vipio. 



The development of a rostriform face with or without a corresponding prolonga- 

 tion of the mouth-parts is extremely rare in Apanteles and apart from the few species 

 introduced at couplet 16 of the key, turns up only within the rather loose aggregate 

 of species that I have called the ater-group (camirus from S. Africa and a few related 

 species), in the crassicornis-group from N. America and lacteoides of the mm*/a-group. 



The LACTEUS-Groxjp 

 Monobasic. 



Apanteles lacteus (Nees) 



Microgaster lacteus Nees, 1834 : 187. 



Apanteles lacteus (Nees) Reinhard, 1880 : 365. [not lacteus Nees, auctt.]. 



I have based my interpretation of this species on two females from the Reinhard 

 collection and labelled in Reinhard's handwriting as " lacteus Nees ". 



$. Hind femur entirely brown ; hind tibia yellowish on rather more than basal half. Wings 

 milky-white ; nearly all the venation colourless. Hind spurs white. Labial palpi curiously 

 darker than the maxillary palpi. 



Head from in front markedly rostriform (Text-fig. 120). Mouth parts not lengthened. Face 

 smooth-looking and with only a very faint punctation. Antenna short and of weak develop- 

 ment ; the two preapical segments hardly one and half times longer than wide ; scape 

 short. Mesoscutum somewhat dull, finely, closely punctate. Lateral, polished zone of scutellum 

 pushed far forwards and cutting off between itself and the disc a long, narrow, parallel-sided 

 furrow. Propodeum rugose all over middle part but with some punctation towards sides ; a 

 few rugae radiating from the posterior orifice suggest a faintly indicated U-shaped areola. Hind 



