NATURAL ENEMIES. 
35 
Platyga&ter herricJcii Pack. Fig, 6. 
This parasite lias been obtained from the Hessian fly and is counted 
one of the common species infesting it. It was credited \\ itli punctur- 
ing the egg and laying its egg 
within to hatch later and eon 
same the larva. This was 
considered as a very improb- 
able method of attack, as the 
true egg parasites were known 
to complete their life cycle 
within the egg itself. 
The observations of Mar- 
chal on Trichasis have, how- 
ever, shown the probability of 
such a mode of attack in that 
species, and so there would 
seem a possibility of such 
habit for this. If occurring in the fall and affecting particularly the 
larva' Jiving in winter wheat, it will be s^en that it operates at a season 
when the Merisus is most inactive. 
This is a very minute species, being only l.\ to 1} of a millimeter in 
length. It is described as black, shining, finely punctate; the antenna; 
10-jointed, black; the wings veinless, or with a submargiual vein 
appearing as a yellowish streak. 
Pack (after Ri 
Polygnotus hiemalis Forbes. 
Plalygaster hiemalis Forbes, Psyche, vol, .">. p. 39 (1888.) 
Male and female. — Length, 0.80 to 1.40 mm. Black, polished; head about two and 
one-half times as wide as long anterio-posteriorly, the vertex posteriorly only faintly 
aciculated, the face smooth, polished. Antenna' 10-jointed, brown black, the fiagel- 
Inm twice as long as. the scape ; pedicel as long as and much stouter than the first 
two funicular joints; first funicular joint small, not longer than thick, yellowish 
basally; second larger and a little longer than the third; club 5-jointed, the joints. 
except the last, a little longer than wide, the last cone-shaped, one-half longei than 
the preceding. In the male the second funicular joint is thickened, curved, and as 
long as the pedicel, the latter whitish or yellowish at the tin: the funicular joint 
small, contracted at base; club 6-jointed, villose, the joints oblong, slightly pedicel- 
late, the first, the shortest, narrowed basally, the last ovate, not quite twice ;i> lone, 
as the penultimate. Thorax ovoid, polished, the mesonotal furrows delicate hut dis- 
tinct posteriorly ; in the male almost obliterated, the middle lobe projecting slightly 
upon the scntellum. Scutellum very high, transverse, convex. Metapleura Bubseri- 
ceous. Togul.e rufo-piceous. 'Wings hyaline, pubescent. Legs dark brown to 
piceous, trochanters, tips of anterior femora and tibiie, base of middle and posterior 
tibi«e, and all tarsi, brownish yellow or honey J ellou , sometimes the posterior femora 
black. Abdomeu in the female about as Long as the head and thorax together; in 
male shorter ; in hot li sexes the petiole and the foveohe ;it base of the second segment 
striated. 
