54 MISC. • PUBLICATION 17 4, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



that it now seems advisable to accept the generic name Eupelmella 

 which was proposed by Masi especially for Eupehrms degeeri Dal- 

 man, a species that is believed to be a synonym of vesictclaris. Eupel- 

 mella differs from Ewpelminus by having the axillae not contiguous 

 at base, the scutellum with a narrow base on mesoscutum, the pro- 

 podeum very short, transversely linear medially, the abdomen 

 completely sessile, with the first to fourth tergites distinctly emargi- 

 nate at the apical middle, and the ovipositor distinctly exserted. In 

 females of Ewpelminus the axillae meet for a considerable distance 

 on the median line. The scutellum therefore does not reach the 

 mesoscutum; the propodeum is well developed, the abdomen has a 

 distinct short petiole, the posterior margins of tergites are not 

 emarginate, and the ovipositor does not extend beyond apex of 

 abdomen. 



Eupelmella vesicidaris may be readily distinguished from all other 

 parasites of the hessian fly by the wings, which are much abbreviated 

 and abruptly bent near the middle, the basal portion hyaline, the 

 apical portion strongly fuscous, nearly acute at apex and usually 

 erect. It also differs from all other hessian-fly parasites in the con- 

 formation of the mesoecutum, which forms a broadly elliptical, weakly 

 sculptured, and somewhat hairy, concave plate whose lateral margins 

 are acute, the scapulae very narrow and nearly vertical. 



Female. — Length 1.25 to 3.2 mm. Head twice as broad as thick antero- 

 posteriorly at the middle ; occiput slightly concave ; temples receding, less than 

 half as wide as eyes ; ocelli in an obtuse triangle, postocellar line twice the 

 ocellocular line, the latter a little longer than the diameter of an ocellus ; eyes 

 elliptical, with sparse short pile ; malar space equal to about half the eye 

 height; scrobes triangular, deep anteriorly but fading out above; mandibles 

 each with three acute teeth ; labial palpi 3-jointed ; maxillary palpi 4-jointed, 

 the apical joint a little thickened and about as long as the three basal joints, 

 which are all subequal; clypeus not separated from the face posteriorly but 

 limited laterally by delicate carinae, its anterior margin straight ; surface of 

 head finely reticulate-punctate. Antennae inserted below the eyes, distinctly 

 clavate ; scape not thickened and reaching to front ocellus ; pedicel slender, 

 more than twice as long as broad; ring joint subquadrate; first funicle joint 

 and ring joint together equal to pedicel ; second and third funicle joints sub- 

 equal and each nearly as long as pedicel ; following joints successively shorter, 

 the seventh subquadrate; club 3-jointed, a little shorter than the three preced- 

 ing funicle joints combined. Prothorax prominent, faintly reticulated, and with 

 a transverse row of fine setae anteriorly near base of cone-shaped neck ; meso- 

 scutal plate longer than broad, finely reticulated anteriorly, practically smooth 

 posteriorly and clothed with fine pale hairs ; scutellum narrow, weakly convex, 

 and very finely punctate; axillae narrowly separated at base and sculptured 

 about like scutellum; propodeum very short, reduced nearly to a transverse 

 line at the middle; mesopleura large, very finely lineolately sculptured on the 

 disk, with faint reticulation anteriorly and posteriorly. Fore wings extending 

 to apex of first tergite or a little beyond, abruptly bent upward a little before 

 the apex, the elevated portion acute at apex and densely ciliated, submarginal 

 and marginal veins distinct in balsam-mounted specimens, stigmal vein absent. 

 Anterior femora slightly swollen; middle femora a little flattened; middle 

 basitarsus swollen and spined beneath, the other tarsal joints of middle tarsi 

 not much thickened and usually with only two or three spines beneath toward 

 apex; middle tibial spur about as long as basitarsus, the tibia at apex with 

 several short thick spines ; hind tibia with a single spur. Abdomen about as 

 long as thorax, convex above, somewhat compressed from the sides, the first 

 tergite smooth, the others weakly sculptured and nearly uniformly clothed with 

 short recumbent hairs ; tergites 1 to 4 emarginate at apex ; ovipositor exserted 

 approximately one fourth the length of abdomen. 



Head metallic green or aeneous ; scape pale ; pedicel metallic ; flagellum 

 brownish black; mesoscutal plate metallic green or brassy; rest of thorax 



