29 
Genus Elasmi s Westwood. 
Head, antero-posteriorly rather narrow, vertex sabacnte, eyes Baboval, ocelli 
placed in a triangle. Antenna? inserted below the middle of the face, scape not 
reaching to ocelli, flagellum not inerassate. Thorax with obsolete pnnctnres, sutures 
of the scntellura delicate, metathorax with no carina, apex not perpendicular. 
Costa of the wiu<rs shorter than the marginal, costal cell very narrow. Abdomen 
triangular, terebra scarcely observable. Posterior tibiae spinous nnderneath. M-- 
Bosternnni smooth. Epistoma not distinguishable, epimera nearly triangular. Body 
black, metallic above. 
Thomson in his remarks after the generic diagnosis of Elasmm says, 
"Arterna lefva parasitiskt pa Miorogaster " — a general statement. 
Uatzeburg, however, gives Aneure rhipieeros Forst. as parasitic; on P.syche 
graminella ; Giraud gives E.flahellatus Westw., as parasitic on the same 
species and on Epichnopteryx helix, and E. nudus Nees, as destroying 
Cecidomyia rosaria. Of the following species all are represented in notes 
as having been bred from Tineid larvse except E. albicoxa, which was 
found in ajar with the eggs of Limnitis dissippus, from which it could 
not possibly have come. Microgasters were bred from the young larvae 
of L. di.Hsippus, and, in default of careful notes, it is very possible that 
the specimen of E. albicoxa may have come from one of the Microgaster 
cocoons. In the same way Microgasters were bred from the Tineids on 
Rhus and Apple, from which E. ran'wsand E.pullatus are stated in the 
notes to have been bred, and the mere entry in the note-book will not weigh 
against a unity of habit in the genu* if such can be shown to be proba- 
ble. Thomson does not give his data, but the fact that Microgasters 
were bred in the cases mentioned would have seemed to afford a strong 
probability of such an unity of habit, had it not been that the last spe- 
cies of the genus, E. tischericv, was bred under my eyes, and watched 
with the desire to determine this point in mind. Xot only was no Mi 
crogaster observed, but the Elasmus larvae was several times found feed- 
iug externally, just prior to pupation, upon the larvae of the Tiseheria. 
This observation will transfer Elasmus from the ranks of injurious in- 
sects to those of beneficial. 
51. (1) Elasmus varius, n. sp. 
M ale.— Length, 1.75 nim ; wing expanse. :>.:>0" mi ; greatesl \\ idth of fore wing, 0.33 m ", 
Head coarsely and densely punctate, the impressions more sparse upon the face. 
Mesonotuni covered with long delicate hairs, and appearing as if covered with ann- 
ate overlapping scales. Sentellnm apparently smooth, but, under a high power, cov- 
ered with fine wavy Lines, and furnished near base with hairs. Abdomen long, slender, 
acuminate, furnished at tip with a number of stitV black hairs. General color shin- 
ing black; rounded tip of met ascal elluin orange-yellow ; inctascntcllar appen 
membranous white, rest of mcianotnm metallic-green; first abdominal joint dors 
striped wit h two t ransverse shaded bands of ochre-yellow ; \ enter of abdomon ochre-j el-, 
low except at tip: front coxffi blackat base, remainder brownish-} ellow : femora brown- 
■• Das schildoheo hat an der Spitze einen hautigen, drieckigen, »iemlioh s>- : 
gespitzten, lamellenartigen A.nhang." (Fiirster Hymenopt. Stud. 11. p. 71. 
