Id - 1 ^33 

 464. 



MESOCHORUS SERICANS. 



Order Hymenoptera. Fam. Ichneumonidae. 



Type of the Genus, Mesochorus splendidulus Grav. 

 Mesochorus Grav., Curt. 



Antenna; as long as the insect, slender, filiform and pubescent, 

 inserted in a cavity towards the middle of the face, composed of 

 about 40 joints, basal joint the stoutest, 2nd ovate, 3rd minute, 

 4th long, the remainder rapidly decreasing in length, the apical 

 joints small and ovate {I* a). 



Labi'um small, semicircular and cUiated with bristles, with a 

 fleshy pubescent, triangular lobe somewhat acuminated at the 

 apex (2). 



Mandibles small, curved, bifid at the apex (3). 

 Maxillce terminated by two rounded lobes, the superior very 

 pilose. Palpi very long, pilose and 5 -jointed, basal joint clavate, 

 a little the shortest, 2nd dilated internally, the remainder slender 

 and linear, the 3rd being the longest (4). 



Mentum somewhat obovate. Lip small, semicylindric, slightly 

 emarginate and pubescent. Palpi rather long, pilose and 4- 

 jointed, 1st and 2nd joints nearly of equal length, the latter di- 

 lated internally, 3rd and 4th longer and clavate, the latter the 

 slenderest (5). 

 Head short and transverse, face orbicular (1 *) ; eyes elliptical : oceUi 

 3. Thorax not broader than the head, gibbose, ovate : scutellum 

 subtriangular or semiovate. Abdomen attached by rather a long 

 petiole, fusiform slightly convex clavate in profile, scarcely so broad 

 as the thorax, furnished at the apex in the male with 2 rigid and at- 

 tenuated spines (7) : ovipositor exserted rather stout and longer than 

 the style in the male (6). Wings, superior, with the stigma rather 

 small, the marginal cell not large and conical, areolet large and 

 rhomboidal with a short pedicle : inferior sometimes with the lower 

 nervure furcate towards the a?ial angle. Legs not short. Thighs, 

 posterior the stoutest. Tibiae spurred at the apex. Tarsi 5 -jointed, 

 basal joint the longest. Claws and Pulvilli small. 



Sericans Haliday's MSS. — Curt. Guide, Gen. 508. 

 In the Cabinet of Mr. Haliday. 



The large rhomboidal areolet, connected with the lower ner- 

 vure of the marginal cell by a short pedicel, and the large 

 curved internal cubital cell, are good characters to identify 

 the Mesochori ; and the males of this pretty genus are distin- 

 guished by two slender spines at the apex of the abdomen. 



