RECLASSIFICATION OF MICROG ASTERINI 237 



Areolet extremely small, reduced to a mere slit (Text-fig. 333). Brazil 



sc/iunfee»-group (p. 260) 



- Tergite 1 always considerably longer than wide ; tergite 2, if delimited, then not, or 



not very obviously, transverse (frequently the lateral sulci are indicated as short, 

 almost transverse furrows that tend to cut off a small, more weakly sclerotised area 

 at each anterior corner of the segment) ; side of pronotum with at most a weakly 

 indicated, rugulose, dorsal furrow ......... 12 



12 Mesoscutum at most rather finely, discretely punctate, very shiny ; head above 



smooth, polished. 



Second transverse cubitus received onto the distal extremity of the 1st trans- 

 verse cubitus and hence almost interstitial with the 1st abscissa of the radius. 

 Central and S. America ....... letups- group (p. 263) 



Mesoscutum dull, coarsely rugose-punctate or simply closely punctate with dull 

 microsculpture ; head above with some sort of rugosity. 



Disc of the scutellum always as strongly sculptured as the mesoscutum ; areolet 

 very small, slit-like, the 2nd transverse cubitus received onto the 1st at middle or 

 proximal to middle. Old World, especially tropical Africa 



fasciipennis-group (p. 244) 



13 1st abscissa of the discoideus distinctly shorter than the 2nd . . . . 14 



- 1st abscissa of the discoideus about as long as the 2nd . . . . . 17 



14 Mesoscutum polished, impunctate. 



Tergite 1 short, triangularly dilated, hardly wider than long (Text-fig. 327) ; 

 tergite 3 polished, separated from 2 by a deep groove that is margined along 

 posterior edge of tergite 2 ; palpi long, the 3rd segment of the maxillary palpus 

 being about three quarters as long as the 1st segment of the flagellum. Japan 



coenonymphae- group (p. 258] 



- Mesoscutum rugose, rugose-punctate or punctate with dull microsculpture . . 15 



1 5 Almost basal half of stigma orange-yellow ; fore wing marked with hyaline and brown 



patches ; both tergite 2 and 3, that is, the whole of tergite (2 -f- 3), very coarsely 

 striate-rugose. 



Head above polished ; ocelli in a low, very wide triangle, the transverse, 

 posterior tangent to the anterior ocellus just cutting the posterior pair. Europe 



a bdominalis- group (p. 254) 



- Stigma brown ; fore wing not maculated ; tergite 3 at most with feeble traces of 



sculpture and in strong contrast with a strongly sculptured 2nd tergite ; ocelli in a 

 higher triangle, this tangent at most nearly touching the posterior pair . . 16 



16 Tergite 2 much shorter than 3 (Text-fig. 328) ; thorax entirely black ; mesoscutum 



strongly, coarsely punctate ; 1st abscissa of the radius very obliquely placed on the 

 stigma (Text-fig. 312). 



Vertex smooth, polished ; vannal lobe fringed with long hairs throughout. Old 

 World ......... connexus- group (p. 248) 



- Tergite 2 fully as long as 3 ; thorax red, except for the propodeal region ; mesos- 



cutum finely rugose and only indistinctly punctate ; 1st abscissa of the radius 

 placed more nearly at right angles on the stigma. Europe 



alvearius-group (p. 248) 



17 Posterior, polished band of the scutellum hardly interrupted at middle ; mesoscutum 



with an extremely fine, virtually irresolvable sculpture ; tergite 2 strongly trans- 

 verse, much shorter than 3, divided into three fields of which the lateral fields are 

 very distinctly transverse. 



Propodeum in large part polished. Europe. . . .oronfes- group (p. 254) 



- Posterior, polished band of the scutellum widely interrupted at middle ; mesoscutum 



strongly sculptured, with some sort of punctation, usually coarser along the course 

 of the notaulices ; the surface of the mesoscutum tends to be dull because of a fine 



