Boros István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 51. (Budapest 1959)
Papp, J.: The Microgaster Latr., Microplitis Först., and Hygroplitis Thoms. species of the Carpathian Basin (Hymenoptera, Braconidae)
Tomus 51. 1959. The Microgaster Latr., Microplitis Forst., and Hygroplitis Thorns. Species of the Carpathian Basin (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) By J. PAPP, Veszprém In the course of my revisionary work on the Braconid flies in the Collection of the Hungarian Natural History Museum, I worked out, first of all, the species of the genera Microgaster Latr., Microplitis Forst., and Hygroplitis Thorns., collected within the area of the Carpathian Basin. S. Mocsáry listed 14 Microplitis and 7 Microgaster species in the Fauna Regni Hungáriáé (1897). Though Thomson erected the genus Hygroplitis in 1895, Mocsáry did not take it into account, owing to the fact that it was regarded by the contemporaneous experts as one of the subgenera of Microgaster. Together with T e 1 e n g a (1955), I regard it as a distinct genus, well characterizable taxonomically. As Mocsáry published Hygroplitis abdominalis N e e s in the genus Microgaster, he discussed, as a matter of fact, 6 Microgaster species only. Of the genus Microplitis, 14 species are enumerated in the Fauna Regni Hungáriáé. Of these,however, 5 speciesf Microplilis fumipennis Ratz., M. xanthopus Ruthe, M. variipes Ruthe, M. mediana Ruthe, and M. lugubris Ruthe J are, in all probability, synonymous, that is, their identifications are erroneous. Of the three genera, 169 species live in the Holarcticum. Sixty of them are to be found in the Nearcticum (Muesebeck, 1951). The systematic? (and ecology) of the Microgaster and Microplitis species living in the Nearcticum were studied by Muesebeck (1922, 1931, 1951) ; of them, we have modern informations. On the other hand, the taxonomy of Microgaster —Microplitis —Hygroplitis in the Palearcticum is by far from being completely clarified. The species inhabiting this area were published in the annotated list of Szépligeti (1904) ; later, Fahringer discussed them detailedly (1937). The most valuable part of his work was that he gave the original description of the several species, and, if this failed to be comprehensive enough, he supported it by a more exhaustive characterization. At the same time, he expressed his doubts concerning the validity of any problematical species in the most flagrant cases only. This is the cause why it was found of some of his species regarded by him as valid that they are in reality synonymous. It is a deficiency in his work that, in his supplementary descriptions, he often discloses some inaccurate characterization, indeed, some species described from the Palearcticum (e. g. Microgaster procerus Ruthe) are missing from his book. Recently, three workers study the Palearctic species of these three genera. W. Hellen (Helsinki) published a total of 30 Microgaster-Microplitis species from Finland. He presumes that some of the species are synonymous with some others. N. A. Telenga (Kiev) gave a monographic summary of the species of the subfamilies Microgasterinae and Agathinae of the Soviet Union in 1955, yet, in essentials, he deals with the whole Palearcticum. He synonymizes some few species. Finally, G. E. J. Nixon communicated to me in his letter that he is now engaged on the taxonomical revision of the Old World species of the subfamily Microgasterinae. He was kind enough to inform me on the results of his investigations, in fact, he supplied me, for the sake of enabling me to check my identifications, with comparative material, and he also made a control in this regard. I have the agreeable duty to express my thanks also in this place. Concurrently, I wish to express my gratitude also to M. Fischer (Vienna), who cordially forwarded to me the original descriptions published in some periodicals inaccessible for me. Variability — Synonv my In the course of my studies on the species of the genera Microgaster — Microplitis— Hygroplitis occurring in the Carpathian Basin, I found further
