132 BRITISH ICHNEUMONS. [Acrodaciyla. 



claws. From certain Pimplae, which agree in this last respect, they may 

 be known by the want of the areolet, in addition to the former characters," 

 says Haliday in erecting it. This genus, which was never described as 

 Baiypus [nee Baripiis, Dejean 1828, a genus of geodephagous beetles), 

 though so designated in Curtis' " Guide," has the central segments im- 

 pressed and not compressed as stated by Westwood (Introd. ii, Synops. 57). 

 It is said by Ashmead to differ from Polysphincta in having the "transverse 

 cubital nervure wanting, the first branch of the cubitus being interstitial 

 with the first abscissa of the radius " and not forming a distinct angle 

 with it ; he, however, synonymised it with Oxyrrhexis, Forster. Its rela- 

 tion to Polysphiticia is, in fact, very similar to that of Hemiteles to Phyga- 

 deuon — a smaller and degenerate form, best distinguished by its weaker 

 conformation and sculpture, the subobsolete abdominal impressions and 

 puncturation, but especially by the mesonotal cristulae. 



Table of Species. 



(2). I. Metanotum centrally smooth ; mandi- 

 bles stramineous .. .. .. I. MADIDA, ^(Z/. 



(i). 2. Metanotum centrally canaliculate ; 



mandibles testaceous . . . . 2. degener, Hal. 



1. madida, Hal. 



Acrodactyla madida, Hal. Ann. Nat. Hist. 1839, p. 117, <? ? 



Head transverse and rounded behind the prominent eyes ; palpi and 

 mandibles pale stramineous ; face longitudinally convex centrally. An- 

 tennae a little shorter than the body, filiform, piceous and pilose through- 

 out ; basal flagellar joint half as long again as the second. Thorax not 

 broader than the head, immaculate ; mesothorax strongly nitidulous with 

 a few short grey hairs ; metathorax dull, deplanate and apically attenuate 

 with long and grey pilosity obscuring the spiracles, its apex reflexed and 

 all costae wanting. Scutellum often badious. Abdomen infuscate-piceous 

 with the incisures more or less black; basal segment shining, nearly twice 

 longer than broad and nearlv parallel-sided ; central segments nitidulous 

 with sparse grey pilosity ; venter pale with the four basal segments pli- 

 cate; terebra not longer than the basal segment. Legs stramineous 

 throughout ; the hind ones with their tarsi and apices of their tibiae infus- 

 cate ; all the claws black ; apical joint of the hind tarsi thrice longer than 

 the penultimate and twice than third, its claws small, curved and neither 

 pectinate nor extending beyond the elongate pulvilli ; calcaria very small 

 and subequally long ; coxae subc\ lindrical. Wings hyaline and not nar- 

 row ; stigma infuscate, radix and tegulae white ; discoidal cell apically 

 rectangular ; lower wing with the first recurrent curved and entire. 

 Length, 4 — 6^ mm. 



" Fngland, F. Walker. — Ireland, in shady groves " (Haliday). "Cap- 

 tured at Walkham Valley, 28th July; Bickleigh, 5th August," both in 

 Devonshire (Bignell). I have a full series of both sexes taken about Shere 

 in Surrey by Dr. Capron, from which I have been enabled to sufficiently 

 amplify Haliday's pertinent but brief description. Mr. Stanley Edwards 

 has given me a female from Lynton in Devon, captured in 1890. 



