09,S [October, 



several of* the Brucltl; and Morley (Ent. 1907, 183) mentions the 

 capture of S. luteipes by sweeping in Suffolk. 



2. Thersilochus orchcsiae Mori. 



Numbers of this insect were bred from larvae of Orcliesia micans 

 in fungus {Polyporus spp.) taken from dead trees at Off church in 1921. 

 On one occasion, on October 10th, 1921, I was fortunate enough to 

 obsierve the oviposition of the parasite. On breaking a piece of the 

 fungus across, a portion of the side of one of the pink Orchesia larvae 

 was exposed. Whilst I still held the fungus in my hand, a Hymenopteron 

 (afterwards kindly identified by Mr. Morley as Thersiloclius orchesiae) 

 alighted upon it, quickly approached the exposed larva and, standing 

 over it, inserted its ovipositor just above one of the posterior pair of legs. 

 The larva remained perfectly quiescent for about two minutes, then 

 moved, finally wriggled out on to the surface and began to walk away. 

 The fly held its ground firmly, its abdomen, curved round underneath, 

 being drawn more and more forward until it looked as though the ovi- 

 positor would be torn away ; at last, however, it was withdrawn and both 

 fly and larva were captured. Presumably, under normal conditions the 

 parasite must be able to locate the beetle larva from the surface of the 

 fungus in which it is embedded, when it would hardly be in a position to 

 move very readily. 



Thersilochus orchesiae (Ophionidae) is one of the many hymenop- 

 terous parasites which can frequently be bred from Orchesia vncans. 



3. Sarcophaga nigrii'entris Mg. 



This Dipteron, kindly identified for me by Mr. J. E. Collin, was 

 bred from a single specimen of Necrophoriis humator, found on the 

 sand-dunes at Holkham, Norfolk, on July 8th, 1922. The beetle was 

 picked up in a moribund condition, and a few days afterwards four larvae 

 emerged from it, pupated, and about August 5th produced one male and 

 three female Sarcophaga nigf'ivenfris. Mr. Collin tells me that he has 

 not been able to trace any record of this fly as parasitic on beetles, though 

 a few other species of the genus are known to be so. 



I have on several previous occasions seen dead, but externally 

 uninjured, specimens of Necrophoriis humator, and it is not unlikely 

 that these had also been parasitised. It would be interesting to know 

 whether other entomologists have had the same experience. 



Offchurch, near Leaniingtoii Spa. 

 Auijust -list, 192i\ 



