365 



A NORTH AMERICAN AXIMA AND ITS HABITS. 



By L. 0. Howard. 



In the Transactions of the Entomological Society of London for 1862 

 (p. 373) Mr. Walker described an anomalous genus of Chalcididae under 

 the name of Axima, from specimens collected by Mr. Bates, at St. 

 Paul, Brazil, the sole species receiving the name Axima spinifrons. 

 Walker recognized in this genus affinities with the Chalcidinre, Eury- 

 tomiuge, and Eucharinae, and also with certaiu exotic genera which 

 connect the Pteromalinae with the Cleonyminae. 



Fig. 68.— Axima zabriskiei— Female, from above— enlarged (original). 



In July, 1884, Cameron, in the Biologia Centrali- Americana, erected 

 upon this genus the subfamily Aximinw and added the Central Ameri- 

 can genus Rontalia. He recognized its relationships with the Chal- 

 cidina3 and Eurytomiuse. Hontalia, however, differs from Axima in its 

 thickened and toothed hind femora and in the strongly exserted ovi- 

 positor, and Cameron has made a slip in giving as a subfamily charac- 

 ter u posterior femora thickened, minutely toothed," which, however 

 well it applies to Hontalia, is not applicable to Axima. 



Mr. Ashmead, in the Proceedings of the Entomological Society of 

 Washington, Vol. I, p. 219, mentions the occurrence of a form closely 

 allied to Axima among some South American Chalcididre collected 

 principally along the Amazon by Mr. Herbert Smith, and which, as a 

 transition form, convinced him that Axima really belongs to the Eury- 

 tominw. 



I had previously reached a nearly similar conclusion from examina- 

 tion of the true species of Axima, described in this paper, and also from 

 two transition forms in the collection of the National Museum, the one 

 25852— Nos. 11 and 12 3 



