Girault, the Chalcid Genus Hypopte / romalus. 
29 
mouth border, the mandibular characters, the presence of spiracu- 
lar sulci and general habitus, as well as on account of its habits, 
the correct position of this genus, is, I think, in the pteromaline 
tribe Rhaphitelini, though its short abdominal petiole would seem 
to ally it with the S p he gig as t evince Sphegigasterini. The genus 
appears to be similar to Pteromalus Swederus in many respects, 
especially in the general habitus of the males. In its new position 
it is closely allied to the genus Habrocytus Thomson, falling in 
that Thomsonion-Ashmeadian division of the Rhaphitelini having 
normal cephalic femora, mediumsized stigmal knobs and relatively 
short antennal pedicels. The genus is separated from Habrocytus 
by means of the less produced, shorter, usually triangular (lateral 
aspect) abdomen, the presence of the short petiole, the differences 
in the length of the abdominal tergites and other less noticeable 
characters to be summed up in general term habitus. 
History of the Genus „ 
This genus is a recent description. In a table of the genera of 
his tribe Pteromalini of the subfamily Pteromalince, the late Dr. 
William Harris Ashmead, in his monumental work ‘'Classification 
of the Chalcid Flies” (Ashmead, 1904, p. 320), established the 
genus Hypopteromalus with the species Pteromalus tabacum 
Fitch as type. As extracted from the table of genera mentioned 
the following diagnostic characters belong to the genus: 
Occipital foraminal depression emargined; metathorax produced 
into a subglobose neck, which is not Very distinct; postmarginal vein 
always longer than the stigmal vein, but not very distinctly so; 
pedicel subequal to the first funicle joint, shorter, the antennae with 
two ring joints; metathoracic ' spiracles larg'e, elliptical; abdomen 
ovate to conic-ovate, not longer than the combined lengths of the head 
and thorax, the caudal margins of the segments straight, not incised 
or emarginat'e at the meson, the second segment about three times 
longer than the third, segments four and five united not longer than 
the third, those beyond variable, subequal in length; venter usually 
strongly compressed or keeled. Metanotum with a distinct median 
carina, the lateral folds incomplete, indicated towards the base. 
In the table the genus was placed next to Pteromalus Swederus, 
but failing to interpret its characters properly, as an alternative, 
with Diglochis Foerster. During the short time of its existence, 
it has not been the subject of subsequent systematic treatment, 
