S. Mahunka szerk.: Folia Entomologica Hungarica 27/2. (Budapest, 1974)

note that these species show fused tergites in various stages of development). It may generally be supposed that a surface becoming punctate-rugose-scrobiculate is more favourable because the surface area is much enlarged allowing a greater quantity of heat absorbed by the animal which must bear some kind of physiological significance. Furthermore, the scrobiculate-rugose-coriaceous surface of the propodeum and tergites l(-2) helps easier oviposition. Because when the egg is laid the abdomen is characteristically arched in a dorsal-ventral plane. In such a position the first tergite so to say "engages" with the propodeum by means of its rough surface thus enhances the firm position of the abdomen during oviposition. c) Hairiness, tomentum, pubescence. - Only in exceptional cases do we find scarcely hairy or hairless Braconidae. As a rule the head and thorax is comparatively more hairy than the abdomen. Especially the face and propodeum are covered with long and thick hairs. The hairiness of the compound eyes is generally regarded to be an apomorph feature. The hair is generally arranged in rows and bands on the abdominal tergites and sternites. This kind of hair arrangement is regarded as plesiomorph character as against the other hairy parts of the body. From this point of view only one group of braconid flies deserves special attention which in other respects also display synapomorph features and this is the subfamily Dacnusinae

. The metanotum, the propodeum, abdominal tergites 1-2 and sometimes the 3rd tergite display rather varied arrangament of pubescence and tomentum (which in most cases correspond to generic or specific values). For the time being no rational answer can be given as to the function of tomentum, and pubescence, nevertheless, it is regarded to be an evolutionary trend of synapomorph character. Neither can we give an explanation to the presence of penicilliform brush in the tribe of Braconini (Vipio, Glyptomorpha

, Teraturus, Glabriorum, certain Bracon species). The penicilliform brush is present on the lower enge of the clypeus always composed of different but strikingly long hairs. d) Head quadrate, head transverse. - The head in superior view may be called cubic and transverse. In case of cubic head the width is hardly greater than length; the transverse head, on the other hand, is much wider than long. Frequently, the shape of the head is used as a taxonomic character and built into keys. B raconinae -Rogadinae with numerous plesiomorph features also show cubic head. Interestingly enough the cubic head is a character of species and specie s-group s than of genera or higher taxa. The only exceptions are the members of two tribes Spathiini (approximately 200 species in the world) and Helconini (only 12 known species in the world) they too have cubic heads. Cubic head developed by the action of the extraordinarily strong and very frequently used maxillary muscles. The strong muscle first of all needs a large space and an extensive surface of insertion in the head. The masticatory muscle is needed primarily when the braconid imago leaving the pupa finds itself enclosed in wood, the habitat of the host (xylophagous beetle larvae), or when the braconid wasps attacks the host with its jaws (numerous species belonging to different taxonomical groups parasitizing caterpillars), or when the imago emerges through the soft as well as the hard, chitinized parts of its host. The third case is characteristic of Alysiinae and Dacnusinae species, where the mandibles peculiarly curving outward (even in reposé they do not cover each other), probably to further help the emergence from the body of the host. e) Decrease in the number of antennái joints. - From comparative insect anatomy it is known that the ancient form borne long antennae, while the recent forms carry short antennae. With some restrictions the same applies for the Braconidae

, too, i.e. multi-