LIBRARY

HYMENOPTERA 661
The family consists of some 15 genera and about 200 species and is cosmopolitan
in distribution. The adults oviposit in the eggs of many insects, and the
larva! are parasitic on them and are considered beneficial because of their destruction
of many serious pests of agricultural crops. One of the most remark-
FIG.231. A mymarid parasite, Metalaptus torqualus Malenotti. It is less than 0.3 rnm.long
and is one of the smallest insects. (After MalenQtti; 1917.)
able of these is Paranagrus obtabilis Perkins, a very effective parasite of the
sugar-cane leafhopper in Hawaii and the tropical Pacific area.·
The most important genera are Alaptus Westwood, Anagrus Haliday,
Anaphes Haliday. Anaphoidea Girault, Camptoptera Forster, Gonatocerus Nees,
Leimacis Forster, Mymar Curtis, Ooclonus Hal., Paranagrus Perkins, aild