18 Pipunculidae. 



greened and covered with a number of impressions, which are trans- 

 verse on the dorsum and two on each segment, roundish or somewhat 

 funnel-shaped on the sides and here forming about foiir longitudinal 

 rows, the impressions being more or less connected by oblique impress- 

 ed lines; the posterior spiracular plate is not impressed, narrowly 

 oval with the spiracles at each side; the puparium of xanthopus is 

 quite similar to that of haemorrhoidalis and sculptured in the same 

 way, and also the puparium of nigritulus is similar, but it is less dark, 

 more fmely shagreened and the impressions, both dorsal and lateral, 

 are much less marked, so that the puparium upon the whole is less 

 sculptured; the fourth lateral row has the impressions prolonged 

 ridge-like downwards; the puparium of melanostolus^ described by 

 Scott, seems to be similar. 



The larvæ live in the abdomen of the Homoptera, when full 

 grown nearly quite filling it, and with the head turned forwards; 

 when time for pupation comes, the larva splits the base of abdomen 

 from metathorax in one side and quits the host. Perkins mentions 

 one species, where the exit took place through a hole on the dorsum 

 of abdomen; after leaving the host the larva as a rule goes to the 

 ground and pupates here a little below the surface, hibernating as 

 pupa; in two species, xanthocerus and the Australian cinerascens, 

 the larva does not go to the ground but fixes the puparium on a leaf. 

 The oviposition has not been exactly watched, but Perkins has seen 

 species when hovering dart to the underside of leaves, where Ho- 

 moptera were congregated, and as mentioned under Verrallia Jenkin- 

 son has seen V. aiicta pounce upon frog-hoppers and in one case he 

 saw the Verrallia sitting on the back of the frog-hopper; thus there 

 can be no doubt I think, that the Pipunculid stings the Homopteron 

 with the ovipositor, the egg passing through the canal on the ventral 

 side of the ovipositor. 



The species of Pipunculus occur in woods, especially in somewhat 

 humid piaces, and on meadows, hovering on bushes and in grass, 

 evidently here seeking Homoptera, and they are very exquisite hover- 

 ers. Most of the species are rather scarce, and I have rarely met with 

 them in larger numbers. The genus is by far the largest in the family, 

 the other three genera together comprising only about a dozen species 

 in all. 



Of this genus about 75 palæarctic species are known; 25 have 

 hitherto been found in Denmark. 



