818 
ANNUAL REPORT OF NEW YORK 
MIBOE. PARASITE. MISTAKEN PARASITE DESCRIBED. 
ones. Moreover in P. Tipula the scutel is prolonged into a con¬ 
ical thorn-like point, whilst in our insect there is no projection of 
the scutel. The legs too, in our insect, are black instead of yel¬ 
low. Having been such a fruitful source of error I name it 
accordingly. 
Tho Mistaken parasite Platygastcr error, new species. (Hymenoptqra. Proctotrupidoe.) 
Plate i, fig. 4. 
Black, shining. Head nearly globular, slightly broader than long. Antennae inserted 
near the mouth, longer than the head and thorax, thread-like, clothed with a fine inclinod 
beard, elbowed, ten-jointed; basal joint long and stout, nearly half as long as all the remain¬ 
ing joints, thicker towards its tip; second joint oval or somewhat obovate, twice as long as 
thick ; third joint shortest, obconic, a little longer than thick, scarcely as thick as the fourth 
joint, to which it is compactly joined; fourth joint short cylindric, twice ns long as the third 
joint and they together as long as the second; fifth to ninth joints short cylindric, about twice 
as long as thick, cut off transversely at their ends, their bases abruptly rounded, separated 
by very short pedicels; last joint twice as long as thick, cylindric, with its apex tapering to 
a rounded point. Thorax egg-shaped, smooth. Abdomen ilattcncd, oval, twice as long 
as wide, as long as the thorax but scarcely as wide, its second segment forming more than 
half of the whole length. Legs pitchy black, thighs and shanks thicker towards their tips, 
feet five-jointed. Wings wholly destitute of veins, cloar and glassy, irised red and green, 
the surface minutely bearded and the margin having coarse short inclined cilise. Length 0.05. 
Although its hind legs are not thickened this insect often 
moves with a skip, particularly when it first starts to walk. 
The observations which I have made upon the habits of this 
parasite will probably be best communicated to the reader by 
copying them directly from my memoranda. 
“June 22. Meeting in a wheat ear with two young larvae of 
the midge, I placed them in a vial and introduced a Mistaken 
parasite into the vial; but it walks hurriedly about, frequently 
passing them without noticing them in the least. As this may 
be owing to its alarm on finding it is in a strange situation, I find 
two other larvae and breaking off the young kernel on which they 
are lying I introduce it into Another vial in which a parasite has 
been imprisoned since yesterday. It comes to tho soft kernel and 
appears to nibble or sip the juice of its broken end. It then 
walks around a few moments and comes back and nibbles the 
end of the kernel again, but pays not the slightest attention to 
the larvae. 
“ June 29. Finding some eggs of the midge I introduced the 
chaffs to which they are adhering into a vial in which is one of 
these parasites; but it walks over the chaffs and the eggs with¬ 
out noticing them in the least. Thus it indicates no attachment 
to either the eggs or larvae of the midge. 
“ July 3. I watched the motions of the Mistaken parasite in a 
