PTEROMALIDAE OF N.W. EUROPE 171 



Rhicnocoelia sp. indet. 



Amongst some material kindly given to me by my friend Dr. Augustin Hoffer I 

 found a female Rhicnocoelia which is rather distinct and must certainly represent a 

 new species. It was captured by him in Czechoslovakia (Karlstejn, 9.V.1959). 

 I think it advisable, however, to await the capture of additional material before 

 describing the species. 



MERISMUS Walker 



Merismus Walker, 1833 : 371, 375 [Divisions 4, 5]. Type-species : M. rufipes Walker, by 



designation of Westwood, 1839 : 68. 

 Sphegigaster Spinola; Forster, 1856 : 53, 57 [ex parte]. 

 Merismus Walker ; Thomson, 1878 : 17, 18-20. 

 Merismus Walker ; Schmiedeknecht, 1909 : 374, 375, 377. 

 Merismus Walker ; Nikol'skaya, 1952 : 245. 

 Kentema Delucchi, 1953a : 218. Type-species : " Lamprotatus ovatus Walker " [recte Misco- 



gaster ovata Walker!], by original designation. 

 Merismus Walker ; Graham, 1956 : 77-78. 

 Merismus Walker, Peck et al., 1964 : 37. 



Kentema Delucchi was placed in synonymy with Merismus Walker by Graham 

 (1956 : 77). 



Five European species of Merismus (one of them described as new) are recognized 

 in the present work. 



Key to European Species 



(Males and Females) 



1 Petiole of gaster (Text-figs. 137, 138) without a raised transverse crest near its 



base. Mesoscutal notauli complete, sharply impressed throughout. 

 Fore wing with postmarginal vein slightly to considerably longer than the 

 marginal vein ; speculum closed below. Reticulation of lower face, on 

 either side of clypeus, tending towards transverse strigosity ; genae, just 

 behind the malar sulcus, shiny and nearly smooth. Scutellar frenum 

 irregularly wrinkled or with some longitudinal carinulae, sometimes nearly 

 smooth apart from the latter. Females with antennal clava without a 

 spine at its tip ; second gastral (fourth abdominal) tergite (Text-figs. 137, 

 138) relatively large. (Species-group of megapterus Walker = Merismus 

 s. str.) ............ 2 



Petiole of gaster (Text-fig. 139) with a strongly raised transverse crest near its 

 base. Mesoscutal notauli superficial posteriorly, sometimes not reaching 

 the hind margin. Fore wing with postmarginal vein not, or only slightly 

 longer than the marginal vein ; speculum usually at least partly open below, 

 rarely completely closed. Reticulation of lower face forming more nearly 

 circular areoles ; genae wholly reticulate. Scutellar frenum with relatively 

 uniform reticulation, much like that of the rest of the scutellum though 

 rather coarser. Female with antennal clava with a short black spine at its 

 tip ; second gastral (fourth abdominal) tergite (Text-fig. 139) relatively 

 smaller. (Species-group of rufipes Walker = Stylomerismus sgen. n.) . 3 



