LIBRARY

662 COLLEGE ENTOMOLOGY
Polynema Raliday. Most of these may be grouped according to the hosts as
follows: Polynema on ODONATA; Alaptus and Polynema on CORRODEN­
TIA; Polynema on ORTHOPTERA; Alaptus, Anagrus, Anaphes, Camptoplera,
Gonatocerus, Leimacis, Paranagrus, and Polynema on HOMOPTERA;
Polynema on HETEROPTERA; Alaptus, AnajJhes, Anaphoidea, and Gonatocerus
on RHYNCHOPHORA.
Certain species of Polynema are known to enter the water and swim with their
wings and legs in order to seek out and parasitize the eggs of dragonflies and
backswimmers. Both sexes emerge from the host eggs in the same manner.
VII. Superfamily SERPHOIDEA Viereck 1916
(Serph-oi'de-a, from the Greek (f€PCPos, a small winged insect.)
Pointed-tailed Wasps, Proctotrupid Wasps.
Minute to small, slender, dark, or metallic primary and secondary parasitic
wasps with straight or elbowed antennre; greatly reduced venation with but
few closed cells; abdomen pointed and with conspicuously or inconspicuously
carinated or keeled lateral margins; ovipositor tubular and issuing from extreme
tip of abdomen.
71. Family DIAPRIIDtE
72. " SERPHIDlE
73. CALLICERATIDlE
(CERAPHRONIDlE)
74. SCELIONIDlE
75. " PLATYGASTERIDA1:
76. EMBOLEMIDlE
LIST OF FAMILIES
77. Family PELECINID.!E
78. " SCLEROGIBBIDlE
79. ROPRONIIDA1: (also
listed with ICHNU
MONOIDEA)
80. HELORIDlE
81. V ANHORNIIDlE
82. DICROGENIIDlE
Family SERPHIDJE 1 Kieffer 1909 (Ser'phi-dre, from the Greek OEptPOS, a
small winged insect). Pointed-tailed Wasps.
Minute to small wasps, 2.5-10.0 mm., mostly dark or brownish, yellowish, or
reddish, some metallic. Antennre inserted at middle of face, 13-segmented with
one ring segment. Mesonotum smooth or rugose, with or without median
carina. Fore wings with stigma and usually only one very small closed radial
cell. Abdomen with short petiole; segment II much longer than others; pointed
or defiexed; ovipositor formed by modified apical segments, straight, retractile.
A small family of important parasitic insects which prey upon a wide variety
of other insects and small diplopods; cosmopolitan in distribution. Important
genera are Serphus Schrank (Proctotrupes Latr.) Disogmus Forster, and Exallonyx
Kieffer.
1 Also known as PROCTOTRUPIDlE (Latreille 1802) Stephens 1829. The type genus
Ssrphus was erected by Schrank in 1780, whereas Proctolrupes was not established by Latrellle
until 1796.