70 MISC. PUBLICATION 17 4, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



species. Hill and Smith state that in one instance a sample of 100 

 fly puparia taken in May from a field at Mount Holly Springs, Pa., 

 disclosed 33 percent parasitization. The latter observation indicates 

 that at times and under favorable circumstances the species may be 

 an important factor in the control of its host. 



MERAPORUS CRASSICORNIS Kurdjumov 



Meraporus crassicomis Kurdjumov, Messager Ent. 2 (1) : 4, 1913; Znamenski, 

 Poltava Agr. Expt. Sta., Ent. Dept. Bui. 2, 1923 (abstract in Rev. Appl. Ent. 

 (A) 12: 291, 1924). 



Meraporus crassicomis is very similar to Amblymerus mayetiolae 

 Gahan. It differs, however, by having the dorsal aspect of the pro- 

 notum shorter, almost transversely linear, the antennal flagellum 

 slightly shorter, the marginal vein not over one and one half times 

 the length of the stigmal vein, the propodeum more rugulose be- 

 tween the lateral folds, and the abdomen slightly broader in propor- 

 tion to its length. 



Female. — Length 2 mm. Head a little broader than thorax, viewed from above 

 about three times as wide as thick antero-posteriorly, slightly convex in 

 front, broadly but not deeply concave behind; temples very narrow, less than 

 one fourth the eye width ; postocellar line much longer than ocellocular line, 

 the latter equal to a little more than twice the diameter of an ocellus ; ocelli 

 small, the ocellar triangle obtuse ; head viewed from in front broader than 

 high (about as 28:23) ; scrobe shallow but distinct; malar space equal to ap- 

 proximately one third of the eye height ; eyes ovate, bare ; clypeus slightly 

 rounded at apex; whole head finely reticulate-punctate, the clypeal area with 

 some very weak striae. Antennae 13-jointed, strongly clavate. the flagellum 

 rather short ; scape cylindrical, not reaching to front ocellus ; pedicel fully 

 twice as long as thick, about equal in length to the three ring joints and the 

 first funicle joint combined ; first two ring joints smaller than the third, which 

 is about twice as broad as long ; funicle 5-jointed, the first funicle joint sub- 

 quadrate, second also subquadrate and broader than the first, following joints 

 broader than long and successively increasing a little in thickness, the last 

 funicle joint approximately twice as broad as long; club ovate, as long as the 

 three preceding funicle joints together, distinctly 3-jointed. Thorax rather 

 short and compact, not over one and one half times as long as broad, finely 

 reticulate-punctate ; prothorax short, transversely linear dorsally ; mesoscutum 

 twice as broad as long, not strongly convex, the parapsidal grooves effaced; 

 scutellum as long as, or a little longer than, mesoscutum, subconvex ; axillae 

 broadly separated, sculptured like scutellum ; propodeum short, without a neck, 

 with well-developed median carina and lateral folds, finely punctate over the 

 whole surface, the area between lateral folds somewhat wrinkled ; pleura 

 mostly punctate but with a polished area below the posterior wing. Legs not 

 swollen ; tarsi 5-jointed ; hind tibia with one spur ; hind basitarsus as long as the 

 three following joints together ; hind coxae distinctly but not strongly sculp- 

 tured. Wings reaching beyond apex of abdomen, bare at base behind the sub- 

 marginal vein ; marginal cilia short ; marginal and postmarginal veins equal, 

 the stigmal vein over two thirds as long as marginal. Abdomen broadly ovate, 

 a little longer than thorax, broadest at about apex of first tergite where it is 

 broader than thorax ; first tergite constituting approximately one fourth the 

 total length of abdomen and perfectly smooth, following tergites shorter, sub- 

 equal and with very weak reticulations : ovipositor concealed from above. 



Head and thorax green with a slight coppery cast ; scape pale testaceous, 

 flagellum brownish ; mandibles fuscotestaceous ; all coxae metallic green ; all 

 femora fuscotestaceous ; all tibiae and tarsi reddish testaceous ; wings hyaline. 



Described from one female specimen in the United States National 

 Museum. According to the labeling this specimen was received 

 from T. Cheviroff, St. Petersburg (now Leningrad), Russia, and was 

 reared from Phytophaga destructor. It was first identified as Mera- 

 porus crassicomis by the writer. 



