134 BRITISH ICHNEUMONS. {Acrodac/vla. 



ward till within striking distance, and then thrusts her ovipositor into the 

 thorax and deposits her egg. The ichneumon egg is hatched in about 

 forty-six hours, the larva taking about ten days in consuming by suction 

 the unfortunate spider. When feeding it lies sack-like across the spider's 

 back until the latter is almost consumed; when the larva finds the founda- 

 tion upon which it has been resting getting inconveniently small, it at- 

 taches itself to the web the spider made, by the tubercles with which it is 

 provided on the back, for the purpose of feeding on the last remains of 

 its victim and making its own cocoon. When this attachment is accom- 

 plished the legs and empty skin drop to the ground. The larva, sus- 

 pended by its back, has now to make itself a cocoon in which to pass the 

 pupa stage ; it takes about three days to do this work, and it is during 

 this time that the eight tubercles on the back have to play such important 

 parts." Then follows an account of its spinning, almost verbatim with 

 that given by the same author respecting Polysphincta tuberosa. " \Mien 

 full fed, the larva is about three-eighths of an inch in length. The fly 

 is mature and escapes from the cocoon in about twenty days." 



I possess several females of this species, taken some years ago, in the 

 neighbourhood of Shere in Surrey by Dr. Capron. 



SCHIZOPYGA, Gravenhorst. 

 Gr. I.E. iii (1829). 125. 



Head a little wider than long with vertex very broad; eyes prominent, 

 oblong-ovate, slightly pubescent and hardly emarginate next the scrobes ; 

 mandibles very broad, apically acuminate and concealed beneath the apex 

 of the not basally discreted clypeus. Antennae slender, filiform and 

 somewhat longer than half the body. Thorax subcylindrical, longer than 

 high ; prothorax elongate, notauli deeply impressed ; metathoracic spira- 

 cles circular, areola elongate, and usually entire. Scutellum subtriangular 

 and somewhat convex. Abdomen subsessile, strongly convex, nitidulous, 

 elongate and oblong-cylindrical, as broad as and nearly twice longer than 

 the thorax, gradually narrowed apically; the segments transversely im- 

 pressed, with lateral tubercles before the base; first segment margined 

 and bicarinate, second distinctly impressed obliquely in its basal angles ; 

 the two apical of 9 longitudinally cleft ventrally and the ultimate strongly 

 retracted ; terebra reflexed and hardly longer than the apical dorsal seg- 

 ment. Legs somewhat short with the femora incrassate ; hind femora 

 stout, though hardly broader than their tibiae ; tarsal claws curved, acute 

 and nude. Wings somewhat narrow, with no areolel. 



Thomson remarks (O. E. 758) on the superficial similarity between 

 Exochus and the present genus. 



Table of Species. 



(4). I. Abdomen not badious ; length six 



millimetres or more. 

 (3). 2. Areola complete; abdomen entirely 



black I. PODAGRICA, Grav. 



(2). 3. Areola incomplete ; abdomen mainly 



bright red 2. circulator, Panz. 



(i). 4. Abdomen badious ; legs more slender ; 



length 5 mm 3. minuta, Grav. 



