238 Hosts of Insect Eggparasites in Europe, Asia, Africa and Australasia. 
der Waben leben und in dem Gemülle unterhalb des Nestes nicht vor- 
kommen. 
Auf jeden Fall möchte ich aber abraten, mit geringeren Vorsichts- 
massregeln, als ich es getan habe, an die Sache heranzugehen. Tötungs- 
oder Betäubungsmittel wollte ich absichtlich vermeiden, um auch viel- 
leicht vorhandene Trichopterygiden bequem zu erhalten, von den Tieren 
war aber nichts vorhanden. 
Hosts of Imsect Eggparasites in Europe, Asia, Africa and 
Australasia, with a Supplementary American List. 
By A. A. Girault, Nelson N. Q., Austral. 
(Schluss aus Heft 5.) 
Of great interest is the fact, plainly seen from the combined lists, 
of the great unanimity of habit in those genera of parasites widely 
distributed over the earth. Trichogramma in Australia, Europe, North 
America, the West Indies, Hawaii and Asia shows its unanimous 
preference for the eggs of the Lepidoptera; the family to which it 
belongs is everywhere parasitic upon insect eggs; native species of the 
senus Oligosita of the same family seem everywhere to parasitize jassid 
eggs in the stems of various grasses. Podagrion is parasitic upon 
Mantid eggs in Australia, the Americas, Africa, Europe and Asia, 
throughout all of the great zoogeographical realms so that if one 
should alight on an hitherto unknown and remote island and find one 
of these beautiful little creatures one could prediet with scientific 
certainty that search would reveal before long one of the usual eggceases 
of a Mantid. Under the same circumstances, if a Seelio were found, 
one could as surely prediet that Acridiids were present. It is rather 
remarkable, when we think of it, that a great genus like Telenomus has 
similar habits in Europe, Africa and Australia. Why are not the 
Australian species parasitic upon larvae or even phytophagous. Is it 
not because of relationship and heredity? The striking unanimity 
points too strongly in that direction; it is too great to have been wbat 
we may term accidental. 
On the other hand another thing that impresses us is that similarity 
of habit has no necessary significance as indicating blood relationships; 
an adaptive habit or an adaptive organ is to be looked upon as being 
of least importance in determining relationship. 
Another point brought out by the combined lists is the wide 
distribution of certain of the species which are parasitic upon commercial 
insects. Trichogramma minutum Riley is a striking example. Why is 
this minute and fragile atom world-wide in its distribution. 'The most 
reasonable answer is that it has been distributed by commerce in 
agricultural plants with one of its many hosts. Anagrus armatus (Ashmead) 
is another minute and delicate insect widely distributed over the Nearctie 
and Australian realms and this is also parasitic upon insects associated 
with commercial crops throughout those realms. 
It is impossible to have worked upon eggparasitism and not to 
have been struck with the great omnivorousness of some of the species, 
denoting great adaptibility and eminent success in life. Some of the 
smallest of insects seem to be the most successful, witness the ants and 
judging by numbers certain of the Mymaridae, such as Anagrus, 
