PROC. ENTOMOL. SOC. WASH. 89(4), 1987, pp. 770-775 A NEW SPECIES OF PARACRIAS (HYMENOPTERA: EULOPHIDAE) PARASITIC ON ANTHONOMUS SPP. (COLEOPTERA: CURCULIONIDAE) James B. Woolley and Michael E. Schauff (JBW) Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843; (MES) Systematic Entomology Laboratory, BBII, Agricultural Research Service, % U.S. National Museum NHB 168, Washington, D.C. 20560. Abstract— Paracrias anthonomi Woolley and Schauff, new species, is described and illustrated. This species was reared from Anthonomus hunteri in southern Mexico and is being investigated as a possible biological control agent for the boll weevil {Anthonomus grandis). The relationship of the new Paracrias to others in the genus is discussed and a revision to the key to the species is given. During foreign exploration for parasites of the boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis Boheman (Curculionidae), J. Cate and P. Krauter of Texas A&M University discov-ered a new species of Paracrias (Eulophidae: Entedoninae) attacking Anthonomus hun-teri Burke and Cate. In order to provide a name for this species, we take this oppor-tunity to describe it and discuss its rela-tionship to other Paracrias species. Very little is known of the biology and host associations of the previously de-scribed species of Paracrias. Only two species have been reared and both of these are also associated with curculionids (in the genera Lignyodes and Conotrachelus (Schauff, 1985)). In addition, one of us (MES) has recently seen specimens of another un-described species reared from Anthonomus aeneolus Dietz in the state of Nuevo Leon, Mexico. The concept of Paracrias given by Schauff (1985) is altered considerably by the inclu-sion of the species that we describe here. In spite of the numerous character differences between this species and the others cur-rently placed in this group, naming a new genus for this species would likely render Paracrias paraphyletic. We believe that the character differences in this species are aut-apomorphic (e.g. the elongated median pro-podeum and greatly reduced metanotum) and do not justify a separate genus. Since one of us (MES) is currently analyzing the relationships of this genus and its relatives, we will defer additional comment on ge-neric relationships until that work can be completed. Species of Paracrias can be separated from other genera of Eulophidae by the following characters: scutellum with a single pair of setae and submarginal vein with two setae (subfamily Entedoninae); head and meso-soma well sclerotized and not collapsed when dry; notauli incomplete, usually only present as small indentations at posterior margin of mesoscutum; mesoscutum and scutellum alveolate (Figs. 3, 5); scrobal grooves united below Y-shaped facial groove (Fig. 1); pronotum without transverse ca-rina; metapleural protuberance with antero-lateral carina (Fig. 6); scutellum without median groove; propodeum with a median raised area (Fig. 5); metasoma petiolate; mid
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