246 1 he Irish Naturalist. August, 



ICHNEUMONOIDEA. 



Since my last records 1 I have picked up a few more 

 examples of these interesting insects. I am indebted to Mr. 

 Claude Morley, F.E-S., for kind assistance in determining 

 these captures. Most of these were taken in moss, in which 

 the females hibernate. 



ICHNEUMONID4E, 



Ichneumon latrator, F. — Summer Hill, Co. Fermanagh, and 



Poyntzpass. Var. means, Gr.— Summer Hill and Poyntzpass. 

 I. subquadratus, Thorns.— Summer Hill. 

 I. terminatorius, Grav. — Edentubber, Co. Louth. 

 I. extensorius, L. — Edentubber and Pojmtzpass. 

 I. gracilentus, Wesru. — Summer Hill. 

 I. albigrer, Wesm.— Summer Hill and Poyntzpass. 

 I. insidiosus, Wesm. — Summer Hill. 

 Phaeogenes planifrons, Wesm. — Poyntzpass. 

 P. infimus, Wesm. — FMentubber. 

 P. rusticatus, Wesm — Poyntzpass. 

 Centeterus opprimator, Grav. — Poyntzpass. 

 Microcryptus gal act; n us, Grav.— Poyntzpass. Mr. Morley tells 



me that this is the first female of this species that he has seen. I 



took it in moss. 

 IYI. nlgrocinctus, Grav.— Summer Hill and Poyntzpass. 

 Cryptus tufaerculatus, Grav. — Poyntzpass. 

 Pimpla turionellae, L.— Rosses Point, Co. Sligo. 

 P. oculatoria, F. — Poyntzpass. I took this on gorse in one of my 



fields in April last. 



BRACONIDJE. 



COBllnlus gracilis, Hal. — Enniscrone, Co. Sligo, on the sandhills. 



These parasitic Hymenoptera (Ichneumonidse and Bra- 

 conidse) are very interesting, and afford a wide field for 

 observation. The} 7 are very numerous, and their life-histories 

 are well worth careful study. We often hear of the good 

 work accomplished by various insectivorous birds, but it is 

 small in comparison with that accomplished by these 

 Hymenoptera. Nor do they confine their attacks to insects, 

 but also assail spiders — e.g., Pimpla oculatoria, mentioned 

 above, which Mr. Morley told me was doubtless busy attacking 

 spiders, of which there were a number on the gorse bushes 

 where 1 took it. In some cases the larvae feed within the 

 egg-sac, in others they cling round the prothorax of the 



1 Irish Naturalist, xiii., 1904, p. 255 



