Trophies.] BRITISH ICHNEUMONS. 



Hemiteles fakahis (O.E. x. 999). This is pointed out and Dr. Kriech- 

 baumer's remarks on the present genus with descriptions of new kinds 

 criticized by M. A. Roman, of Upsala, in his two papers, " Tropislcs 

 rufipcs, Kriechb. und die systematische Stellung der Gattung Tropistes, 

 Grav." and " Ueber Tropisics rufipcs, Kriechb. und Hemiteles falcatus, 

 Thorns," (Zeits. Hym.-Dip. 1904, p. 214 et 1907, p. 319). He conclu- 

 sively shows that the former species is synonymous with that of Thomson, 

 which has ten years priority, and yet the former is retained by Schmiede- 

 knecht in his Opusc. Ichn. ; M. Roman has kindly sent me Thomson's 

 species, and I entirely concur with his synonymy. Thus we see Thomson 

 places this genus in the Crvpiinac; its compressed and subpctiolate abdo- 

 men refers it to the Ophioninae ; but I think, with Schmiedeknecht, that 

 its most natural position is in the Xoridides. 



Probably both the palaearctic species occur with us ; I alone have taken 

 one of them. 



1. nitidipennis, Gvav. 



Tropistes nitidipennis, Gr. I. E. iii, 445 ; Sclim. Opusc. Ichn. 1377, ? . Varr. 

 T.fttscipes et T. nigriventris, Kriech. Ent. Nachr. 1894, p. 260, ? . 



Head subglobose ; eyes oval and not very prominent ; frons strongly 

 convex, smoothly reticulate ; vertex very broad, slightly impressed behind 

 the front ocellus ; palpi dull stramineous, mandibles centrally ferrugineous. 

 Antennae filiform and slender, a little shorter than the body with the three 

 basal flagellar joints elongate and basally paler, apical ones slightly incras- 

 sate with the ultimate obtuse. Thorax gibbulous-cylindrical, four times 

 longer than broad, immaculate ; mesonotum much longer than broad, 

 nitidulous and finely pubescent, anteriorly elevated and perpendicular with 

 fine and elongate notauli ; metathorax nitidulous and finely reticulate, 

 with the lateral costae complete only at apex ; central areae entire, basal 

 narrow and elongate, areola hexagonal and not broader than long with 

 the costulae and apex obsolete, petiolar area subconcave and laterally 

 strongly costate with its base tunicate ; spiracles small and quite circular. 

 Scutellum not convex, black with the obsoletely punctate disc nearly twice 

 longer than basally broad. Abdomen smooth, subpetiolate, longer and 

 narrower than the thorax, usually centrally badious or rufescent ; laterally 

 so strongly compressed as to render the disc carinifonn ; anus nitidulous 

 and laterally clavate ; basal segment smooth and convex, gradually dilated 

 apically, with spiracles between centre and base ; second less com- 

 pressed than remainder, verj' finely sculptured throughout with the basal 

 thyridii distinct ; terebra a little shorter than the abdomen, strongly 

 deflexed, with spicula castaneous and valvulae shortly pilose. Legs nor- 

 mal and not stout, red with coxae black and the anterior apically ferrug- 

 ineous beneath ; hind trochanters often infuscate ; basal tarsal joint nearly 

 as long as remainder combined ; hind calcaria unequal in length, front 

 ones cursed with their tibiae not intumescent. Wings hyaline and iride- 

 scent ; stigma and radius piceous, radix and tegulae stramineous ; areolet 

 wanting, ner^•ellus intercepting very slightly below the centre. Length, 

 5^-8 mm. 



This species sometimes has the femora and tibiae infuscate or the 

 abdomen nearly entirely black ; the British specimen is of the latter form. 



Ver}' little appears to be known of the distribution of this species, which 

 is perhaps commonest in Germany, but even there very infrequent. Graven- 



