small, oval abdomens attached by petioles to the propodeum considerably above the 
base of the hind coxae. The majority of described species occur in the Eastern 
United States. 
Family Aulacidae 
Aulacid Wasps 
The family Aulacidae consists of slender ichneumonlike wasps. The female has 
an ovipositor about as long as the body. A number of species are parasitic on wood- 
boring insects; the remainder are parasitic in the nests of bees and wasps in twigs or 
wood. Pristaulacus rufitarsis (Cresson) is a parasite of the hemlock borer and 
poplar borer in eastern America; P. bilobatus (Provancher) is.also parasitic on the 
hemlock borer. Aulacus burquei (Provancher), A. digitalis Townes, A. lovei (Ash- 
mead), and A. pallipes Cresson are parasitic on various species of Xiphydria. 
Superfamily Pelecinoidea—Family Pelecinidae 
Pelecinid Wasps 
This family appears to be represented in North America by only one species, 
Pelecinus polyturator (Drury), a parasite of June beetle larvae. The female is a large 
shiny black insect, often up to 62 mm long. The abdomen is slender, about five 
times as long as the head and thorax combined, and is without a sting. Males are 
much smaller and have the posterior of the abdomen swollen. 
Superfamily Ceraphronoidea—Family Megaspilidae 
Megaspilid Wasps 
A number of species in this family have been taken from colonies of ants. Most 
are known to be hyperparasitic primarily on various hymenopterous and dipterous 
parasites. Conostigmus virginicus (Ashmead) is a hyperparasite of Blepharipa 
pratensis (Meigen), an introduced parasite of the gypsy moth. 
Superfamily Proctotrupoidea 
As far as known, all members of this superfamily are parasitic on the immature 
stages of other insects. The group as a whole seems to be little known, and most of 
the North American species are still undescribed. The adults of the majority of 
species are black, often shiny, and small to extremely small in size. The smaller 
ones resemble chalcids, but differ in having the pronotum extend laterally to the 
tegulae and the ovipositor issue from the end of the abdomen. In many of the 
smaller species, the wings are almost veinless; in others, the wings are entirely 
absent. 
Family Scelionidae 
Scelionid Wasps 
As far as known, all members of this large family of small insects are parasitic in 
the eggs of other insects and spiders (/5). Species attacking some of the more 
important forest and shade tree insects are: Telenomus dalmani (Ratzeburg)— 
whitemarked tussock moth; 7. californicus Ashmead—satin moth and Douglas-fir 
tussock moth, Orgyia pseudotsugata (McDunnough); 7. alsophilae Viereck—fall 
cankerworm (fig. 205); 7. bifidus Riley—tfall webworm; T. catalpae Muesebeck— 
catalpa sphinx; 7. droozi Muesebeck—elm spanworm; T. coelodasidis Ashmead— 
saddled prominent; Te/enomus sp.—cherry scallop shell moth; and 7. clisiocampae 
Riley—forest tent and eastern tent caterpillars. Gryon pennsylvanicus (Ashmead) 
parasitizes eggs of the leaffooted pine seed bug. 
Family Platygastridae 
Platygastrid Wasps 
The majority of species in this family are parasites of Diptera, especially of the 
families Cecidomytidae and Tipulidae. A number of others are also important as 
enemies of mealybugs and whiteflies. The introduced species, Allotropa burrelli 
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