1928] New Genus and Species of South American Masarids 197 
T. D. A. Cockerell. Holotype in the Museum of Comparative 
Zoology, at Cambridge. 
Microtrimeria finds its nearest relatives in the Neotropical 
genus Trimeria and the South African Masariella. From Trimeria 
it differs in the presence of parapsidal furrows, the two apical 
spurs of the middle tibiae, the rounded, not mucronate propo- 
deum, and the absence of constriction at the base of the abdominal 
tergites. From Masariella it may be separated by the rounded, 
not mucronate nor angular propodeum, the uniformly fusiform 
flagellum (in the female of Masariella the apical segments are set 
off as a distinct club), the simple tarsal claws, and the venation 
(the medio-cubita! cross-vein in Masariella ends opposite the 
submedian vein, or even a little apicad). According to Bradley 
(1922, Univ. California Pub!., Ent., I, No. 9, p. 399), the parap- 
sidal furrows are absent in Masariella, but I find them well de- 
veloped in the genotype, M. alfkeni (du Buysson), as well as in 
two other species, M. saussurei (Brauns) and M. spinolae (H. de 
Saussure) . 
The only other Neotropical genus of Masaridinse 1 , Ceramiop- 
sis Zavattari, agrees with Microtrimeria, in the presence of parap- 
sidal furrows, in the rounded lateral angles of the propodeum, 
and in the middle tibiae bearing two apical spurs. It differs, 
conspicuously in the shape of the abdomen (the first segment 
being narrowed at the base into a neck) and in the mouthparts 
(maxillary palpi of 6 segments; labial palpi of 4 segments). 
I agree with Bradley in placing Masaris saussurei in Masa- 
riella. Masaris spinolee (de Saussure), of which I have studied 
a male and a female, should likewise be transferred to that genus. 
In both these South African species the scutellum is strongly 
produced behind, completely Hiding the postscutellum when 
viewed from above, the mesepisternum is completely divided by 
a suture into an upper and a lower plate (a character also present 
in Masariella alfkeni), and the parapsidal furrows are well de- 
veloped. In Masaris vespiformis, on the other hand, the post- 
x As I have shown in a recent paper (1928, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., (10) II, 
p. 143-145), the genus Paramasaris P. Cameron (Syn.: Zethoides P. Cameron, 
Plesiozethns P. Cameron, Metazethoides W. A. Schulz) should be removed 
from the Masaridinae and placed in the subfamily Gayellinae. 
