Potmrfiia] BRITISH ICHNEUMONS. 



tlie hind coxae are shorter than the basal segment and tercbra consider- 

 ably longer than half the abdomen. 



Bignell says (Trans. Devon. Assoc. 1898, p. 506) that he has bred a 

 male of this species in southern Devonshire, on loth May, from a 

 decayed apple tree, containing fossors and beetles ; it was, however, 

 introduced as British by Desvignes in 1856, on the strength of the 

 two male examples in his own collection and now in the British Museum. 

 I have also seen a female captured by Mr. Bowsen on 23rd June at Lee, 

 in S.E. London, 



PHIDIAS, VoUenhoven. 

 Voll. Tijds. V. Entom. 1878, p. 163. 



Head subbuccate and transverse, with the occiput distinctly bordered ; 

 eyes prominent ; mandibular teeth of equal length and apically obtuse ; 

 clypeus profoundly discreted and apically deflexed throughout. Antennae 

 subfiliform, somewhat elongate and slightly incrassate towards their 

 apices ; scape not cylindrical. INIesonotal notauli distinct and deeply 

 impressed, subfoveolately confluent at the base ; metathorax elongate, 

 somewhat declived posteriorly with a distinct and elongate areola ; petio- 

 lar area very short and basally entire. Scutellum subconvex. Abdomen 

 subpetiolate with the second to fourth segments explanatc and the anus 

 clavate ; basal segment linear, parallel-sided, at least thrice longer than 

 broad, with the spiracles before the centre and, like the base of the second, 

 roughly strigose ; remainder very closely and finely rugose, with sparse, 

 grey pilosity, becoming more nitidulous apically ; tliyridii circular and 

 pellucid ; terebra shorter than body. Legs somewhat slender and 

 elongate ; coxae ovate with the hind ones oblong ; femora somewliat 

 stout ; calcaria short and of equal length ; tarsal claws very small, curved 

 and simple. Wings somewhat narrow and apically rounded ; areolet sub- 

 petiolate and obliquely triangular ; lower wing with the median nervure 

 strongly curved. 



" Genre voisin d'Araw/ra et comme celui-la appartenant aux Pimplidcs 

 aberrants," says van VoUenhoven (/.c.) ; but Thomson, who received it 

 from Bridgman, has placed it in the Plectiscides next to AUotnacrus, 

 Forster, though adding that the form and sculpture of the abdomen 

 closely resemble those of Ocdemalopsis. The obliquely quadrangular 

 areolet is the only feature I can detect to justify Thomson's position, for 

 the distinctly deplanate abdomen, the sculpture of the metathorax and 

 conformation of the clypeus are all very different, the last so closely 

 resembling that of the Xorididcs as to certainly place this genus in the 

 vicinity of that group. 1 had at first placed it in the AcacnitidiS but the 

 hypopygium is strongly retracted and does not reach the base of the 

 terebra; and its only disparity from tlie present group is the distinctly 

 transverse form of its head. 



1. aciculatus, 1 "//• 



Phidias aciculatus, Voll. Tijds. v. Entom. 1878, p. 1(;4, pi. x, fiRg. 2, 2a ; 

 Thorns. O.E. xii, 1283, ? . 



Black and dull with segments pale-margined. Head strongly nitidulous, 

 almost broader than the thorax with the vertex strongly narrowed behind 

 the eyes ; frons smooth, above the scrobes impressed and glabrous ; eyes 



