PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 20. NO. 9, DEC., 1918 187 



or something close to that species ; Muller (Linn. Vollst. Natursyst., 

 1775, PI. 26, fig. 5), a poor figure of impossible determination 

 but obviously, from the great length of its ovipositor, not the com- 

 punctor oi Linnaeus; and Schaffers (Icone. Ins., pi. 49, fig. 4) which 

 is evidently a Cryptine with the ovipositor longer than the body 

 Moreover, Dalla Torre has synonymized compunctor with such 

 widely different insects as Ephialtes manifestator Linnaeus, 

 Pimpla hixliaator Fabricus and Mesostenus gladiator Scopoli. 



Rowland E. Turner has kindly examined the Linnean collec- 

 tion in London and reports: "Ichneumon compunctor is represented 

 by two specimens but although they apparently formed part of 

 the original Linnean collection the name has not been attached 

 by Linne himself but by Smith, with a note 'named from de- 

 scription.' Both specimens are Pimpla instigator, but there can 

 be no certainty or even presumption that either is the type." 



Obviously the species described by Linnaeus as compunctor 

 cannot be his manifestator for both of these sp 'C : os are described 

 in the same work, and the 'very short ovipositor of compunctor 

 cannot be reconciled with the very long one of manifestator. 

 Moreover, in subsequent references to compunctor, Linnaeus says 

 that it is commonly parasitic within the pupae of Papilio, a 

 habit entirely foreign to manifestator or any of its close relatives, 

 while the species of Pimplidea are habitually parasitic within 

 the pupae of Lepidoptera. 



In view of the absence of a definite type specimen, and since 

 it is certain that Linnaeus had, according to our present knowl- 

 edge, a composite and vague idea of his species compunctor it will 

 be necessary to base all determination of this species on the 

 original description in the tenth edition, which is as follows: 

 "Body immaculate black, abdomen subpetiolate oblong, legs 

 rufous, ovipositor shorter than antennae." 



The most helpful characters in the original description are the 

 shape of the abdomen and the length of the ovipositor, but to 

 thoroughly understand these characters it is necessary to examine 

 the characterizations of well recognized species described at the 

 same time. The various species now placed in Ambyteles or in 

 the Cryptinae are all said to have the abdomen petiolate which 

 eliminates from consideration members of these subfamilies. 

 The species belonging to the Ophioninae and allies are said to 

 have the .abdomen arcuate or sickle-shaped so they are readily 

 eliminates Species nmv placed in the Ichneumoninae (Piin- 

 plinae) are said to have the abdomen sessile and cylindrical, or. 

 as in strob/eh'lltK 1 , ovate, so it is not at all unlikely that Linnaeus 

 would describe the species now known as }'nxti<i<itnr, in which the 

 abdomen is somewhat more attenuate basally than is that of 

 , as having an oblong subpetiolate abdomen. Further- 



