A probable <I>Microgaster</I> parasite of <I>Eleodes</I> in the imago state

OF

WASHINGTON.

211

2.

A

Coleopterouslarva (Buprestidae) with its imago, Thrin- copyge ^alacris.

3.

An

interesting Dipterous

pupa

belonging ^to the

Bom-

byliids.

4.

An Ichneumonid

in all stages,

Labena

_grallator,

which was

undoubtedlyparasitic

upon

^theBuprestid, Thrincopyge.

5.

The

cocoonof a Mutillid.

6.

The

male of Elis quadrimaculata, showing

some

_slight

variation.

A PROBABLE MICROGASTER PARASITE OF ELEODES

IN

THE IMAGO STATE.

BY

C. V. RlLEY.

The number

^of Microgasterswhich affect Coleoptera ^is

com

paratively small. In Marshall's

Monograph

^of the Braconidse the following species are mentioned as affecting insects of this order, though ^{there is} norecord as towhether _they have been rearedfrom the larva orthe imago.

Apanteles hoplites on Rhynchites ^betuleti.

on Lina tremulae.

breviventris on Orchestes quercus.

impurus ^on Anthonomus _pomorum.

"

lacteus, on ^{" "}

sericeus, on Hypera variabilis.

In each caseit will be noted that these parasites belong ^to the genus Apanteles ⁱⁿ the Microgasters. ^I present a speci

men

of Eleodes _suturalis, recently received from Mr. C. K.

Ward,

of Belvidere, Neb.

He was

out _collecting on _{the 2yth} ofApril and found thisspecimen ^{in the} roadway. Benzine did not kill _it, so he brought ^it

home

_{alive, keeping} it ina cigar box.

The

next _night Mr.

Ward

found that the edges ^of the cigar

box

werelined with_cocoons,

which

I believe tobe those of

some

Microgaster, and

which

are also exhibited.

The

habit here illustratedof spinning cocoons ⁱⁿ a linear

manner

_along the angles^of the

box

isdoubtlessexceptional. If

my

^surmise

provetrue, ^I believe thisisthefirst parasite of^thissub-family recorded in this country as affecting amature _beetle, as the Microgasters ordinarily ^affect Lepidopterous^larvae.

A

dissec tion of the beetle

showed

that thecontents of the

abdomen

had

been pretty well absorbed, and

when

_compared with a normal pinned specimen^takenfromthe cabinetthey confirmed the accuracy ^ofMr.

Ward's

statements.