254 g. e. j. nixon 



The ABDOMINALIS-Grovp 



Monobasic. 



Protomicroplitis abdominalis (Nees) comb. n. 



Microgaster abdominalis Nees, 1834 : 163. 

 Hygroplitis abdominalis (Nees) Lyle, 191 8 : 130. 



$o*. This is a most distinctive species, easily recognised by the colour of the wings. The 

 gaster is usually blackish in the male but tergite (2 + 3) is extensively pale marked (reddened) in 

 the female. 



Vertex between the ocelli and the eye-margin polished. Flagellum long, thick, pale at base 

 and with the preapical segment fully twice as long as wide. 



Mesoscutum shiny, very coarsely reticulate-punctate. Disc of scutellum strongly domed, 

 coarsely punctate and separated from the mesoscutum by a wide, strongly costate furrow ; the 

 posterior, polished band of the scutellum is widely interrupted at middle by a patch of rugosity. 

 Radial cell abruptly narrowed apically (Text-fig. 324) ; 1st abscissa of the discoideus very 

 distinctly shorter than the 2nd. 



Tergite 1 is slightly transverse and has a deep, narrow, medial furrow. The short, almost 

 hidden, ovipositor sheath shows a row of four fine, black setae, arising from the lower margin. 



Europe. Occurs in England. 



Lyle was probably deceived by the heavily rugose gaster of this species in believing 

 it to be related to russatus Haliday and nigulosus Ns., the two species that constitute 

 Hygroplitis ; Hygroplitis is treated as a synonym of Microgaster in this work. 



The short 1st abscissa of the discoideus, the coarsely reticulate-punctate meso- 

 scutum and the strongly domed disc of the scutellum with its posterior rugose are 

 all absent in Microgaster. The fine setae that adorn the apex of the ovipositor 

 sheath in abdominalis point to a relationship with Protomicroplitis but never occur in 

 Microgaster. 



Protomicroplitis abdominalis (Nees) is an extreme form whose position is perhaps 

 midway between the connexus- and scotica-groups. 



The ORONTES-Groxjp 

 Monobasic. 



Protomicroplitis orontes sp. n. 



$. Body entirely black. Legs very dark. 



Frons and vertex polished. Posterior, transverse tangent to the anterior ocellus almost 

 touching the posterior pair. Antenna about as long as the body, rather weak, with the preapical 

 segment about one and a half times longer than wide. 



Disc of scutellum very shiny and with only faint traces of superficial punctation. 1st abscissa 

 of the discoideus as long as the 2nd ; 2nd transverse cubitus more or less interstitial with the 

 1st abscissa of the radius. Inner spur of the hind tibia only a little longer than the outer one but 

 distinctly reaching beyond the middle of the hind basitarsus ; segment 5 of the front tarsus with 

 a fine spine, very hard to see. 



Tergite 1 about one and one third times longer than wide, deeply grooved on its anterior 

 smooth, declivious part ; posteriorly its sides are gently rounded ; the short, posterior, hori- 

 zontal surface is weakly rugose. The three fields of tergite 2 feebly roughened (Text-fig. 311). 

 Ovipositor sheath with a single thickened seta at apex ; ovipositor considerably thickened 

 towards base (Text-fig. 316). Length: ca. 2-5 mm. 



