186S.] 201 



ON SOME BEITISH DIAPEIAD^. 

 BY THE EEY. T. A. MARSHALL, M.A. 



Genus Spilomiceus, Westw. 



Westw., Introd. vol. ii, Synops. p. 75. 

 Hal., Ent. Mag., ., p. 274 ; N. H. Rev., vol. iv, p. 171. 

 . Forster, Hym. Stud., ii, pp. 123, 125. 

 Thorns., Ofv., 1858, p. 369. 



Antennae ^ ^ 13-jointed ; in the ? clavate at the apex, the club 5 — 6-jointed, 

 much shorter than the body ; in the t? not longer than the body, 2nd joint shorter 

 than the 3rd, 3rd joint longer than the 4th. Mesonotum with or without two 

 longitudinal impressed striae originating at the scutellum, and becoming obsolete 

 anteriorly. Scutellum with two deep oblong basal fovea. Metathorax emarginate 

 behind, the angles produced into two small teeth, carinated down the middle. 

 Wings with a costal nerve and a sub-costal, which unite before the middle of the 

 margin into an oblong punctiform stigma, the apex of which is produced obliquely 

 and acuminated downwards in the direction of the disc, emitting from thence a 

 short branch turned inwards towards the base, and sometimes slightly produced also 

 towards the apex of the wing ; the other nervures wholly indistinct. 2nd segment 

 of the abdomen smooth and polished, embracing and concealing the apex of the 

 petiole above ; furnished (like the petiole) with white villosity at its base laterally 

 and beneath. Anterior tibiae at the inner apical angle with a long curved spur. 



The other genera of this group possessing 13-jointed antennae are Paramesius, 

 Westw., and Hemilexis, Forst. (= Entomacis, Forst.), in both sexes, — the males of 

 Idiotypa, Forst., and the females of Monelata, Forst. Paramesius, $ , is distin- 

 guished from Spilomicrus by having the 3rd joint of the antennae less than half as 

 long as the 4th ; the $ of Paramesius has the apex of the abdomen naiTOwly 

 produced and acuminated, which in Spilomicrus, ? , is rounded and comparatively 

 blunt. In Hemilexis, $ ? , the 2nd segment is grooved at the base, and the wings 

 have no costal nerve. Idiotypa is similarly distinguished. The S of Monelata has 

 14-jointed antennae j the $ has the last joint remarkably large, forming a club of 

 itself; and the minute size of the insects (much less than a line) renders them 

 unlikely to be confounded with Spilomicrus. 



A. Antennae of the $ having the apical joint smaller than the preceding, 

 a. Mesonotum bisulcate at the base. 



1. — Spilomiceus stigmaticalis, Westw. ; Thorns., Ofv., 1858, p. 369. 



Black, shining, antennae abruptly clavate, the club 5-jointed ; wings slightly 

 infumated ; legs, with the coxeo, ferruginous. $ . Long. 1 lin. 



(J . Antennae a little longer than the thorax, 2nd joint not much shorter than 

 the 4th, legs fuscous. 



The antennae of the $ have the 2nd joint somewhat longer and thicker than 

 the 3rd, 4—8 equal, monihform, the club abrupt ; petiole rather longer than the 

 hind coxae. 



I have seen no specimens exactly answering the above description, taken from 

 Thomson, who expresses no doubt as to the species being the type-insect of West- 



