1882.] 197 



and similarly margined ; the blackish-brown tubercular dots are very 

 small along the back as far as the eleventh segment, then rather larger 

 on the twelfth and front of the thirteenth ; the black oval spiracles at 

 the bottom of the lower grey side stripe are accompanied with blackish- 

 brown spots peculiarly characteristic, viz. : one in front and one above 

 of ordinary size, and a very large one behind the spiracle, and in corres- 

 ponding position on the third, fourth and twelfth segments this is 

 even larger still and somewhat trilobed in shape, two other row r s of 

 single spots smaller and paler occur below. 



When full-grown the larva is about an inch and a quarter in 

 length, rather broadest on the third and fourth segments, tapering 

 thence a little to the head, also in a very slight degree towards the 

 anal segment which is rounded off behind ; the characteristic head 

 plates, and spots remain as before, but the previous contrast of 

 colours between the lighter side stripes and darker back is now greatly 

 reduced, and the light broadish dorsal stripe also from its softened 

 edges and showing faintly w T ithin a slightly deeper greyish pulsating 

 vessel. 



On entering the earth the larva encloses itself in an earthen 

 cocoon of w r eak cohesion ; the pupa varies from five-eighths to three- 

 quarters of an inch in length, and is of stoutish proportion, of the 

 usual Noctua form, the abdomen convexly tapering from the movable 

 segments to the anal tip, which ends with two very fine projecting 

 points ; on the back of four of the middle abdominal rings just at 

 the beginning of each is a narrow transverse band of punctate rough- 

 ness, w T hile all the other parts are smooth and shining, and the colour 

 is of deep mahogany -brown. 



Emsworth : January 7tk, 1882. 



ON FIYE NEW BRITISH STMENOPTERA; WITH A SYNOPTICAL 

 TABLE OF THE GENUS SPHECODES. 



BY EDWARD SAUKDERS, E.L.S. 



Of the five species I am about to describe, two belong to the Yerj 

 difficult genus Sphecodes, and to show r how they differ from their allies, 

 I have given a table of all our British species, indicating the novelties 

 by n. sp. after their names. I fear that in many collections the species 

 in this genus are mixed, as it is only by very careful study of the geni- 

 talia in the £ , and the apical segment in the ? , and the alar hooks in 

 both sexes, that they can be separated with any certainty. We are 



