PSYCHE 
VOL. XXXVI JUNE, 1929 No. 2 
A NEW PSEUDOMASARIS FROM CALIFORNIA, WITH 
SOME CONSIDERATIONS ON THE MASARID 
WASPS (HYMENOPTERA) 
By J. Bequaert. 
Department of Tropical Medicine, Harvard University 
Medical School, Boston, Mass. 
While in Southern California, last spring, Professor W. 
M. Wheeler collected a large number of masarid wasps be- 
longing to two species, one of which appears to be new. I 
have used the opportunity offered by the description of this 
insect, to present a few remarks of a more general nature 
on the Masaridinse, by far the most interesting subfamily 
of diplopterous wasps. As I hope to show, their structure, 
habits and distribution exhibit a number of remarkable 
features that render the group worthy of consideration by 
the biologist. 
Pseudomasaris (Pseudomasaris) wheeleri, new species 
(Fig. 1) 
A large, minutely sculptured, dull species; black, with 
numerous and rather variable sulphur-yellow markings, the 
mesonotum with two complete or interrupted longitudinal 
stripes, the abdomen often with a Vespa- pattern. 
Length (h. + th. + t. 1 + 2) : $ , 10 to 10.5 mm. ; $ , 
9 to 12 mm. (total length, approximately 13 to 17 mm.) ; of 
wing $ , 12.5 mm. and 2 , 11 to 12.5 mm. 
Male. — Head broadly elliptical in front view, about one 
and one-fifth times as wide as high ; seen from above, about 
twice as wide as long, much narrower than the thorax. Oc- 
