186 [August, 



Gronotoma nigricornis Kieffer ( Cynipsoidea), a British insect. — Mr. J. E. 

 Cdllin has sent me three examples (all J ) of a Oynipsoidean parasite which 

 he has obtained from pupae of the Muscid Af/romt/za aeneiventris Fallen, taken 

 from stems of Senecio growing at Blakeney Point, Norfolk ; also a pupa-case 

 containing a fourth specimen which has since completed its metamorphosis 

 and proves to be a $ . The first three specimens emerged at the end of May, 

 and were alive when they reached me on May 30th ; the fourth emerged about 

 a week later. These parasites belong to Forster's genus Gronotoma — subfamily 

 Eucolinae (Cynipsoidea) — which may be known by the absence of a fringe of 

 hairs at the base of the abdomen, by the parapsidal furrows, which are 

 distinct, converging, and meeting at the junction of the mesoscutum with the 

 scutellum, and by the radial cell being closed at the anterior margin of the 

 fovewing. Kiefter describes four species indigenous to Europe, and the 

 examples before me come nearest to the description of his nigricornis ( c? ) 

 recorded from Hungary by Szepligeti, in which the mesopleura are entirely 

 smooth, but traversed by a straight furrow, the legs for the most part red or 

 yellow, and the antennae black. In the type the third joint of the antennae 

 ( c? ) is strongly curved and is nearly twice as long as the fourth, but in 

 Mr. Collin's specimens it is more than twice as long ; the former is stated to be 

 only one millimetre long, while the latter are twice that si?;e. These facts, 

 without actual comparison with Kieffer's type, are insufficient to assume the 

 discovery of a new species, for size in parasitic insects is exiremely variable. 

 The female is not described by Kieffer and is apparently unknown. It is very 

 similar to the male, except that the antennae, which are more slender, are not 

 so long, and have the third joint simple, not curved, and the same length as 

 the fourth joint. The insect is new to Britain, and the discovery of its 

 economy alone makes it worth recording. — L. A. Box, Shere, near Guildford : 

 June imt, 1921. 



nesting altitude of Nomada bljida. — In Ma}' 1920, I found two Nomada 

 bijida Thoms. resting in an unusual attitude, both being suspended by the 

 front tarsi within a foot of each other, one from a twig, the other from a dead 

 bramble leaf. — J. W. Saunt, 53 Enfield Road, Stoke, Coventry: July l\th, 

 1921. 



Ovipositing of Pachyrrhina crocata L. — A few days ago I had the pleasure 

 of witnessing this I'ipulid fl}^ in the act of depositing ova. With the abdo- 

 men at right angles beneath the thorax it kept rising about six ijiches, then, 

 apparently, with all its force centred in the downward movement, it struck 

 the ground witii its ovipositor ; if it happened to strike a lunjp of earth, it 

 immediately repeated the movement until the ovipositor slipped into a crevice ; 

 it then remained stationar}' for a few seconds while it appeared to deposit ova. 

 This took place eight or nine times in the space of about two minutes, when 

 the insect, becoming alarmed at my presence, flew away. The noticeable 

 feature of the whole operation was the speed and deliberation of all the 

 movements. Fortunately the conspicuous abdominal bauds uf this handsome 

 insect rendered observation comjiaratively easy at a distance of two feet.— 

 J. W. Saunt. 



