248 G. E. J. NIXON 



the fore wing proximal to the areolet is remarkably free from hairs, there being only 

 about 12-15 within the 1st discoidal cell. 

 - Head, in a facial view, not in the least subtriangular ; face not flattened, shiny and 

 covered with raised points ; pubescence of face and head normal ; from above, the 

 head by no means especially transverse ; propodeum with more irregular, wider- 

 meshed reticulation and with trace of a dull bloom ; fore wing not thus free from 

 hairs ; 1st discoidal cell thickly hairy all over ; smaller, ca. 2-5 mm. 



Flagellum almost yellow on proximal two thirds, clearly thickened towards apex 

 but less abruptly so than in nephele ; the antennae are broken in alee but the re- 

 maining segments suggests an antenna that is longer, darker, and less thickened 

 apically than in the present species ....... erro sp. n. 



Brazil: Nova Teutonia, 4.vi.ig37, 1 $, the TYPE, (Plaumann). Type in the 

 British Museum (Nat. Hist.). 



The CONN EX l/S-Group 



The two species I include in this group are very closely and naturally related in 

 spite of their curious range. 



The group is easily recognised on its combination of very short 1st abscissa of the 

 discoideus and short, strongly sculptured 2nd tergite. The ocelli are in rather a high 

 triangle, the posterior, transverse tangent to the anterior ocellus passing far in front 

 of the posterior pair. 



Key to Species 



A Tergite 3 highly polished, impunctate ; setae of gaster very sparse, almost absent on 

 tergite 3 ; rugose area of tergite 2 more narrowed laterally ; tergite 1 narrower ; 

 flagellum not at all thickened distally and with the preapical segment about two 

 and a half times longer than wide .... perniciosa (Wilkinson) 50 



Australia: Victoria (Type locality). Type in the British Museum (Nat. Hist.). 

 Host: Ardices glatignyi Le Guillemot (Arctiidae). Cocoons buff -coloured ; three 

 of the four cocoons mounted with the type material are spun together so the species 

 is evidently gregarious. 

 B Tergite 3 with traces of rugosity and a few shallow, scattered pits (Text-fig. 328) ; 

 setae of the gaster dense, especially on tergite 3 ; rugose area of tergite 2 less 

 narrowed laterally ; tergite 1 wider ; flagellum distally thickened, the preapical 

 segment about twice as long as wide ..... connexus (Nees) 51 



Europe. Type presumably lost. 



Host: Euproctis similis Fuessly ; Euproctis chrysorrhoea Hiibner ; Portkesia 

 auriflua F. (all Lymantriidae). 



The ALVEARIUS-Grovp 



I include in this group two not very closely related species, though very similar in 

 general habitus. Both have tergite 2 strongly rugose and about equal in length to 

 3 ; tergite 3 sometimes shows a little weak rugosity at base. The strong, often 

 coarse punctation that characterizes most of the species of the xanthaspis and fascii- 

 pennis groups is absent here, the sculpture of the mesoscutum being fine and not 

 easily resolvable. Small species : 2-5-2-8 mm. 



^Microgaster perniciosa Wilkinson, 1929 : 112. 



Protomicroplitis perniciosa (Wilkinson) comb. n. 

 bl Microgaster connexus Nees, 1834 : 174. 



Protomicroplitis connexus (Nees) comb. n. 



