271 



This rather uncharacteristic description is drawn up from three poorly 

 mounted and mutilated female specimens given me ten years ago by Dr. 

 Marx, who I think received them from Col. Nicolas Pike, of Brooklyn, 

 N. Y. They are labeled " Parasites in spider eggs in orange cocoon, 

 collected 1871." After an examination of the eggs, Dr. Marx tells me 

 that nothing can be said with certainty regarding the host except that 

 it belonged to the family Upeiridw. 



No species of Bceus has yet been described in this country, although 

 Mr. Pergande and myself have collected two or three undescribed 

 species which are deposited in the National Museum collection. But 

 one species is known in Europe — B. seminulum Haliday, but as I know 

 of no recognizable description of it the present species is given a new 

 name. 



ON THE PARASITIC CASTRATION OF TYPHLOCYBA BY THE LARVA 

 OF A HYMENOPTER (Aphelopus melaleucus Dalm.), AND THAT OF 

 A DIPTER (Ateleneura spuria Meig.). 



By M. A. Giard.* 



The larvse of the Hymenopterous and Dipterous parasites of Ty- 

 phlocyba, which I have described in a former communication,! belong : 

 the first to Aphelopus melaleucus Dalm an, the second to Ateleneura 

 spuria Meig. {A. velutina Macq. ; Chalarus spurius Schiner). 



I have bred in captivity these two insects which have, as also their 

 hosts, Typhlocyba, two yearly generations. The first infests the nymphs 

 during the latter half of June, hatching about July 1 ; the other in- 

 fests, the second generation of Typhlocyua, transforming in the nymphs 

 towards the end of September or in October, and probably passing the 

 winter in that state to yield the perfect insect the following spring. 



If one compares these observations with the facts formerly described 

 by Perris (parasitism of Dryinus pedestris Dalm. on Athysanus mariti- 

 mus Perris) and by J. Mik (parasitism of Gonatopus pilosus Thorns, on 

 Deltocephalus xanthoneurus Fieb.), it becomes very probable that Proc- 

 totrupids of the family Dryinidw are generally parasites of Homopters 

 of the family Jassidw. 



And again, in comparing the results of our investigations with the 

 old ideas of Boheman on the infesting of various leaf-hoppers by Dip- 

 terous larvaB, in particular, of Cicadula virescens Fall. (Thamnotettix 

 sulphurella Zett.) by the larva of Pipunculus fuscipes Fall., it becomes 

 equally probable that theDipters of the family Pipunculidw are in gen- 

 eral parasites of Homopters of the family Jassidw. 



* Translated from Comptes rendus, Nov. 4, 1889 (Vol. cix, No. 19, pp. 708-710). 

 t See Comptes rendus, July 8, 1889. 



