1977] 
Porter — Mesostenines 
35 
ling which obscures its punctures. Wing venation: radial cell 3.3 
as long as wide; second abscissa of radius 0.7 as long as first inter- 
cubitus; disco-cubitus broadly angled with a long and conspicuous 
ramellus at angulation; upper part of nervellus 3.5 as long as lower. 
First gastric tergite: post-petiole 1.7 as wide apically as long from 
spiracle to apex. Second tergite: a little duller and more densely 
punctate than in weemsi. Ovipositor: sheathed portion 0.34 as long 
as fore wing; nodus distinct, with a very shallow and broad notch; 
dorsal valve on tip with a gradual, straight taper between notch 
and apex; tip 0.17 as high at notch as long from notch to apex. 
MALE: Unknown. 
SPECIMENS EXAMINED: 1 female. Botanical Garden, 2 April 1975. 
DISCUSSION: As noted above, mesorufus closely resembles the 
Floridian T. weemsi except in color pattern and in some subtle 
structural characters, whose real value only will be established 
when more specimens of these elusive ichneumonids are obtained. 
Townes (1962, p. 256-269) considers all North American repre- 
sentatives of this group as subspecies of T. planosae. In view of 
their allopatry and marked differences, however, I prefer to regard 
them as species, pending proof of intergradation. 
The Texas specimen was swept from a thorny bush (probably 
Celtis pallida ) in a dry area of the Botanical Garden dominated by 
Prosopis juliflora with Condalia obovata and Celtis pallida in the 
shrub stratum. 
The above described female is the third known specimen of meso- 
rufus and the first from the United States. Otherwise, this species 
inhabits Mexico whence it is recorded by Cushman (1930, p. 2) 
from Cuernavaca in Morelos state and by Townes (1962, p. 259) 
from “40 km. southwest of Puebla” in Puebla state. 
5. Joppidium brochum Townes 
SPECIMENS EXAMINED: 1 female, Botanical Garden, 5 I ’76. 
habitat: Herbaceous undergrowth on shady side of fence row 
with Celtis pallida, C. lindheimeri, Ehretia anacua and other trees. 
DISTRIBUTION: Ky., N.C., Ga., to Okla. and Tex. and into Mex- 
ico at least as far as Veracruz and Mexico City. 
PHAENOLOGY: Valley record for January; otherwise flies mostly 
in May and June. 
