Pniiphu] BRITISH ICHNEUMON'S. 87 



apex, with feeble tubercles which in $ are distinct only on segments 

 four and five ; basal segment of 9 somewhat distinctly and of $ twice 

 longer than its apical breadth, laterally margined and scabrously punctate 

 with a subglabrous central canaliculation, extending to near apex ; second 

 segment with distinct basal transverse foveae ; apices of the segments 

 glabrous, elevated and nitidulous, especially in 9 ; those of the (j more 

 strongly pilose with the eighth subretracted with inconspicuous valvulae ; 

 terebra'less than half length of abdomen (abdomen 4^, terebra 2 mm.), 

 with the valvulae transaciculate, elongately setigerous with ferrugineous 

 spicula. Legs fulvous ; all the S '^id front 9 coxae infuscate or black. ; 

 hind tibiae of 9 testaceous and of ,$ white, with the apex and an often 

 obsolete band before the base subinfuscate, more distinct in J ; all the 

 tarsal claws nigrescent and in 9 basally lobate, with the onychii and 

 pulvilli obviously explanate ; J with the front femora distinctly emargin- 

 ate beneath and the front tibiae somewhat distinctly though not strongly 

 arcuate, its anterior trochanters entirely and the hind ones beneath 

 flavous ; in both sexes the hind tarsi are subinfuscate with the basal half 

 of the apical joint sharjjly paler. Wings sometimes clouded or flavescent ; 

 areolet sessile and transverse with the outer nervure, especially in 9 > 

 pellucid at base and apex ; lower basal nervure distinctly, and the radial 

 apically slightly, curved ; stigma piceous with its base dull testaceous, 

 radix and tegulae stramineous ; nervellus distinctly though not strongly 

 postfurcal, intercepting in both sexes exacting in the centre. Length, 



52 — 9 mm- 



Described from a pair taken in cop. (9 vi. 02). 



This species, for so long mixed under Gravenhorst's too comprehensive 

 though still incom{)rehensible P. graiuiucllat', differs from that species, as 

 described b\- Holmgren, and the allied P. brevkornis in its narrower body, 

 less tuberculate abdomen, usually short terebra and emarginate ^ femora 

 and is allied to P. arundinator and P. mdanocephaJa in its explanate 

 onyches ; it cannot be the insect bred by Brischke from Li para lucens and 

 Sesia formiar/oniiis and referred by him doubtfully to the present species 

 — as given by Schm. — since he says the nervellus is unter der I\Iitte 

 gebrochcn. I see no reason to suppose that Thomson assigned an incor- 

 rect (5 to the present 9 ! he simply points out and very truly that the front 

 tibiae are less arcuate than in its allies. It is an abundant species through- 

 Europe and is said by Schmiedeknecht to ha\e been bred from Cliilo 

 phragniitt/lus but, since this is based upon I^ignell's record from Devon, 

 which in reality refers to P. viclanoccphala, it must also be expunged ; the 

 same author's $ is certainly wrongly associated with this species, since 

 it is said to have the nervellus intercepted far below the centre, etc. 



Bridgman, somewhat uncertainly, recognised this species as distinct 

 from its allies in Britain ( Kntom. 1880, p. 55 et Trans. Ent. Soc. 1881, 

 p. 167) and says it is not imcommon about Norwich; later he records it 

 as generally common in Norfolk. It is one of the most abundant species 

 of the genus in England and has been taken in Ireland. It is most 

 frequent upon Angelica flowers in marshy situations towards the end of 

 August, but both sexes are abroad by the end of May and I have taken 

 the female, still the commoner sex though by no means to the same 

 extent as in most of its allies, as early as the 13th of that month. It is 

 strongly attracted by flowers and is found at first on those of the late 

 blackthorn, then on Chacivphylum and whitethorn, later on Ihrachum and 

 fennel, and finally on those oi Angelica sjlveslriSyDaucus caro/a, and Cnicus 

 palusiris, whicli it continues to frequent up to the i8th September. It is. 



