RECLASSIFK \ 1 1 1 >N ( I HI IC ROGASTERINI 261 



S. America : Peru, Chanchamayo, 13. vi. 1949, 1 $, the TYPE, (J. M. Schunke). 

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



This species seems to be isolated and I am at a loss to suggest close allies. In 

 general habitus there is a marked resemblance to the species of the scotica-group and 

 this is heightened by the shape of the first tergite and the sculpture of the meso- 

 scutum. The unmodified second tergite together with the very small areolet help 

 to isolate the species. The deep, sharply discrete, lateral pronotal furrow is a rare 

 feature in Protomicroplitis. 



The CALUPTERA-Group 



Head, from in front, with wide transverse face; above, polished, impunctate. Mouth 

 opening very wide, the mandibles, in consequence, lonj^ ( I exl fig. 3$z)- Ocelli in a low triangle, 

 the posterior, transverse tangent to the anterior ocellus just cutting the posterior pair. 



Mesoscutum polished, impunctate or with very tine, sparse pun< t.itinn Propodeum short, 

 very coarsely reticulate (very much like the propodeum of Microplitis) ; median keel presenl 

 Inner spur of the hind tibia much longer than half the basitarsus. Metacarp about one and .1 

 half times as long as its distant e from the apex of the radial 1 ell but its distal limit not clearly 

 defined (Text-fig. 331). Hind coxa moderately large. 



The median plate of tergite 1 "I verj 1 haracteristic appearance (Text-fig. 334). 



At least the gaster and legs in far greater part bright reddish-yellow. 



The two species belonging to this group represent typical Protomicroplitis and arc a 

 long way removed from the numerous species belonging to the tanthaspis-fasciipennis 

 groups and such of their extensions as the scotica-, spnins- and connexus-gronps. I 

 have met with no species from the Old World that I consider to be closely related 

 to the calliptera-group. In the New World, on the other hand, the caUiptera-group 

 seems to show some affinity with the lelaps-group but it is possible that I have been 

 deceived here by a confusing example of convergence. 



Key to Species 

 A Head and thorax black ; mesoscutum with a fine, sparse punctation ; mesopleurum 

 sharply, discretely punctate in front ; face with slightly stronger rugosity in which 

 striate elements are much in evidence. 



Antenna longer than the body with the preapical segment of female three times ,is 

 long as wide ; length: ca. 5 mm. (wings, Text-fig. 331) . . calliptera (Say) 62 



N. America. Type lost, according to Muesebeck, 1922. 



Host: Platysenta sittor Guenee, Platysenta videns Guenee (Noctuidae). 



My knowledge of this species is based on three females borrowed from Riks- 

 museum, Stockholm (Texas, Bel/rage) and a female in the British Museum collec- 

 tion, also from Texas, bearing the label "Microgaster maculipennis". Muesebeck 

 synonymised maculipennis with calliptera in 1922. 

 B Head and thorax reddish yellow with only the propodeum infuscate ; mesoscutum 



impunctate ; mesopleurum impunctate in front. Male . tnediatus (Cresson) 63 



Cub*l. Mexico. Type in the Academy of Sciences, Philadelphia. 



I know this species from a single male from Cuba, Soledad, determined by 

 Muesebeck. 



^Microgaster calliptera Say, 1836 : 264. 



Protomicroplitis calliptera (Say) comb. n. 

 63 Microgaster mediatus Cresson, 1865 : 66. 



Microgaster mediatus Cresson ; Muesebeck, 1922 : 27. 



Protomicroplitis mediatus (Cresson) Ashmead, 1900 : 292. 



