376 
Psyche 
[December 
THE PROPER USE OF THE TERMS PARAPSIDES 
AND PARAPSIDAL FURROWS. 1 
By George S. Tulloch 
The terms parapsides and parapsidal furrows are very 
frequently misapplied by morphologists and systematists 
working with Hymenoptera. An examination of the litera- 
ture reveals the fact that the term parapsidal furrows has 
been used to designate either of two pairs of longitudinal 
furrows that may be present on the mesonotum of certain 
Hymenoptera, viz., certain Xiphydriids, Ampulicids, For- 
micids (pf and no of Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 5). Likewise, the 
term parapsides has been used to designate the lateral re- 
gions delimited by either pair of the so-called parapsidal 
furrows (pa and sc of Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 5, II of Fig. 3). 
Since it is quite obvious that two distinct pairs of furrows 
or two distinct sets of regions cannot have the same terms 
applied to them, it may be of interest to persons working 
with Hymenoptera to have the correct application of the 
terms re-established as intended by their author. Moreover, 
as these characters are diagnostic and widely used in the 
classification of Hymenoptera, it is quite essential that the 
correct terms should be brought to the attention of present 
workers so that their usage may be stabilized and unneces- 
sary confusion eliminated in future literature. 
The term parapsides was first used by Macleay, 1830, 
(page 148, footnote 1) to designate certain lateral regions 
occurring on the mesonotum of Polistes billardieri Fabr. 2 
Naturally the furrows delimiting these regions are the 
parapsidal furrows although Macleay does not specifically 
designate these furrows as such. Figure 3 of this paper is 
1 Contribution from the Entomological Laboratory of the Bussey Institu- 
tion, Harvard University, No. 323. 
2 Dalla Torre, 1904, considers P. billardieri Fabr. a variety of P. crinitus 
Felton. 
