alsophilae—the elm spanworm, and T. clisiocampanae Riley— 
forest tent and eastern tent caterpillars. 
FAMILY PLATYGASTERIDAE 
The majority of species in this family are parasites of Diptera, 
especially of the families Cecidomyiidae and Tipulidae. A number 
of others are also important as enemies of mealybugs and white- 
flies. The introduced species, Allotropa burrelli Mues., an impor- 
tant parasite of the Comstock mealybug, has been widely released 
in eastern United States. Two native species, A. ashmeadi Mues. 
and A. convexifrons Mues., also are important parasites of the 
Comstock mealybug. 
SUPERFAMILY CHRYSIDOIDEA 
FAMILY CHRYSIDIDAE 
Members of this family are brilliantly metallic-blue and green 
wasps and are popularly known as gold- or cuckoo-wasps. The 
majority of species are external parasites of various wasps and 
bees. A number of species deposit their eggs in the cells of their 
hosts, and the larvae either feed on the original occupants of the 
cells or on the food prepared for them. 
Chrysis shanghaiensis Smith, the only species known to be 
parasitic upon lepidopterous larvae, was introduced into Massa- 
chusetts from Japan in 1917-18 against the oriental moth, also an 
introduced species. Recoveries were made the year following its 
release (576), but it has not been recorded since that time. 
FAMILY CLEPTIDAE 
This family is represented in North America by two genera and 
seven species. The genus Cleptes Latrielle contains six species, all 
of which are western in distribution and all of which apparently 
parasitize various sawflies. The genus Mesitiopterus Ashm. is 
represented in eastern United States by the single species, M. 
kahli Ashm., an egg parasite of the walkingstick. 
SUPERFAMILY BETHYLOIDEA 
FAMILY BETHYLIDAE 
Members of the family Bethylidae are parasitic almost exclu- 
sively on the larva of Lepidoptera and Coleoptera. More than 100 
species have been recorded from the United States, about two- 
thirds of which occur in the eastern portion of the country. The 
adults are small to medium in size. Females are often wingless 
and antlike and differ so much in appearance from the males that 
the two sexes are not easily correlated. 
A number of species of the genus Scleroderma Latreille are 
often parasitic on larvae of the family Cerambycidae. Additional 
species of importance as parasites of forest insects and their hosts 
are: Pseudobrachium mandibulare (Ashm.)—the black carpenter 
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