THE OVIPOSITION OF PROSEVANIA PUN CTAT A (BRULLE): A HYMENOPTEROUS PARASITE OF COCKROACH EGG CAPSULES1

During the past year the writer has been carrying on a study of the biology and life history of a wasp, parasitic during its larval life in the egg capsules of roaches. Oviposition into the egg capsules of the American roach has been observed and is summarized as follows. On October 9, 1950, the writer received a female Prosevania punctata (Brulle) from Dr. Carl Venard. He found the wasp at the window in the basement of a residence in Columbus, Ohio. For careful study and observation the insect was placed in a glass cage, under an electric light. Fortunately the writer had cultures of three different kinds of roaches. They were the American roach, Periplaneta americana (Linne); the Oriental roach, Blatta orientalis Linne; and the Woods roach, Parcoblatta pennsylvanica (De Geer). Egg capsules were obtained from each species of roach and were placed on the floor of the cage containing the ensign wasp. The wasp left the wall of the cage almost immediately and began to examine the capsules of the American roach, completely ignoring the other kinds. O