226 MANUAL OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



7. Family. — Sharp-tailed Cuckoo-Flies (Procto- 

 trupidae). Antennae more or less elbowed ; 

 palpi long and pendulous ; mandibles long, 

 somewhat sickle-shaped, notched at tip ; eyes 

 entire ; ocelli three ; abdomen usually ovate- 

 conic ; ovipositor elongate, conic, acute, formed 

 of two united pieces, enclosed in a tube, or 

 exposed ; fore-wings veinless, or with few 

 veins ; body long and slender ; legs long, 

 femora often clavate ; anterior-tibiae with a 

 terminal curved spur. Very active, usually 

 black, varied with brown; minute; found 

 in grass, on aquatic plants, or in hot sandy 

 situations. Parasitic. Females deposit their 

 eggs in other insects. 



1 . Mymarince. — Head transverse, areolate ; an- 



tennae inserted above middle of face, long, 

 slender in males, — clavate, elbowed in fe- 

 males; palpi none; wings narrowed, densely 

 ciliated. 



2. Platygasterince. — Abdomen sessile, depressed, 



first segment not campanulate ; antennae el- 

 bowed, 10-12-jointed, inserted near mouth. 



3. Ceraphrontince. — Abdomen sub-sessile, cam- 



panulate; terminal and ventral segment 

 carinated ; antennae elbowed; wings nearly 

 exareolate. 



4. Oonatopince. — Abdomen convex, not campa- 



nulate ; last ventral segment carinated; an- 

 tennae porrected, 10-jointed; hind-wings 

 lobed ; mandibles toothed. 



